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-   -   Shooting at FLL Terminal 2 (https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/589219-shooting-fll-terminal-2-a.html)

Airbubba 6th Jan 2017 17:23

Shooting at FLL Terminal 2
 
Reports of several people shot at Terminal 2 at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida airport.

Tweet from former Presidential Press Secretary Ari Fleischer:


Ari Fleischer ‏@AriFleischer 27m
27 minutes ago

I'm at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.

Kulverstukas 6th Jan 2017 17:34

Gunman Opens Fire at Fort Lauderdale Airport, Killing 1 - NBC News

Carbon Bootprint 6th Jan 2017 17:41

CBS now reporting 3 people are dead. CNN reported shooter "in custody" though CBS says status of shooter is unknown.

TowerDog 6th Jan 2017 18:18

Too close for comfort.
Wife flying in to KFLL, with luggage.
(This happened in baggage claim)

Sad day for those shot, and for their relatives.
Curious if this is another peaceful Muslim with a gun, or a regular nutcase with a gun?
Either way, too many guns being sold to mental cases in this country.
(I know, the NRA says everybody should be armed so the gunman could have been taken out right away.)

Now we will get screening before entering baggage claim. :ooh:

Hotel Tango 6th Jan 2017 18:38


Now we will get screening before entering baggage claim.
Strangely enough, meeting my son at LAS (whilst there on vacation myself) in November, I remarked to my wife how anyone had free access to the arrival area and baggage belts for domestic flights.

Mr Magnetic 6th Jan 2017 18:43

BBC reporting 5 dead and 1 person in custody.

Fort Lauderdale airport shooting: Multiple people shot dead by Florida gunman - BBC News

foxmoth 6th Jan 2017 18:44


Now we will get screening before entering baggage claim.
I do not see how he got to baggage claim without being screened -you can't normally get to baggage reclaim unless you have travelled and he should have been screened before boarding. The only other way is to be staff and they should still be screened.
The next question is, did he have the arms IN his checked baggage and access them when he picked up his bags?

lomapaseo 6th Jan 2017 18:46

Well CNN has it live as it develops and it is informative to see how people there are reacting. I have no intention of being judgmental but at this same time it's learning point.

Hundreds of people are swarming in panic mode back and forth between terminals, parking buildings and airport tarmacs reacting to running armed officers attempting to run back and forth in sweeps of areas. It reminds me of sheep reacting to sheep dogs moving in a controlled manner, but at the same time the sheep are being driven by fear.

Airbubba 6th Jan 2017 18:49

FLL terminal 1 now evacuated, reports of one shooting victim there...

Now the casualty is reported as a dog bite victim near the Southwest counter.

BernerOH 6th Jan 2017 19:06

Baggage Claim is pre-screening, so anyone can enter this area. The doors open to the street, so it is possible.

India Four Two 6th Jan 2017 19:09


there is no security for the baggage reclaim on domestic flights; meeters and greeters can join travellers there.
That's true for all the domestic flights I've taken in the US and Canada. Prior to 9/11, you could meet people at the gate.

Airbubba 6th Jan 2017 19:28

Miami-Dade bringing additional SWAT assets by helo, a new phone call claiming shots fired at the JetBlue counter, Terminal 3.

Senator Bill Nelson identifies the suspect in custody as Esteban Santiago. Reports say Santiago was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt.

Turbine D 6th Jan 2017 19:32

The shooting occurred in the Terminal 2 Delta/Air Canada baggage claim. The alleged shooter, 26 yr old, Esteban Santiago, now is in custody He had a military ID. There are conflicting stories as to how he arrived at baggage claim with a weapon. One eye witness said he walked in through the doors next to Starbucks and started shooting. Another story had him arriving on an Air Canada flight, the weapon being in his checked luggage that he recovered in the men's lavatory and came out shooting. The airport operation has been suspended and the scene is still considered an active crime scene, opening of the airport is uncertain at this time.

Airbubba 6th Jan 2017 19:42


Originally Posted by Turbine D (Post 9632460)
Another story had him arriving on an Air Canada flight, the weapon being in his checked luggage that he recovered in the men's lavatory and came out shooting.

And he could legally put the weapon in his checked baggage on an international flight and then retrieve it on arrival in baggage claim without passing security. :eek:

From a @CP24 tweet:


A spokesman for Air Canada says all its passengers/employees at Fort Lauderdale airport are "accounted for & safe'' following mass shooting

standbykid 6th Jan 2017 20:37

Air Canada have said no one by that name was on any of their flights.

Turbine D 6th Jan 2017 20:42


And he could legally put the weapon in his checked baggage on an international flight and then retrieve it on arrival in baggage claim without passing security.
It may not have been an international flight, per-se. It was a domestic airline flight out of Alaska. Also, you do not have to pass through security to retrieve a checked hand gun. To be able to check the hand gun, you have to declare it, you have to prove it belongs to you, that you have license to carry it both at the departure site (Alaska) and arrival site (Florida) and of course proper personal identification. The gun must be in a approved locked case to which he had the only access to. Apparently, Santiago met all the legal requirements.

SASless 6th Jan 2017 20:43

Handguns are banned in Canada....thus for the Killer to have brought one into the USA from Canada seems awfully suspect. How many events of smuggling would be required to evade all Security Measures and Guns Laws in Canada to make that happen.

Owing to the lack of Security Measures at a Domestic Baggage Claim in US Airports....very big odds the firearm was brought in from the local area by the Killer.

We shall soon learn this is a Self Radicalized Individual who was resident in the USA.....I am willing to bet.

Anyone care to bet the Firearm was legally purchased or was a Straw Man purchase and was bought in the USA recently.

Del Prado 6th Jan 2017 20:49

Self radicalised? Have you considered it might not be terrorism?

Honourably discharged from military 4 months ago. Christian church goer. Big Disney fan.

More likely (yet) another nut job with a gun in the land where one toddler per week shoots someone.

Likely Facebook profile here http://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000492021832https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000492021832

SASless 6th Jan 2017 20:58

That must be a very violent Toddler that shoots someone every week!:rolleyes:

Orange future 6th Jan 2017 20:58

"Curious if this is another peaceful Muslim with a gun"

5% chance

"or a regular nutcase with a gun"

95% chance.

ericsson16 6th Jan 2017 21:12

Another veteran goes cuckoos,how can you be a veteran of anything at 26 years old! Maybe he is a cuckoos veteran.

The Sultan 6th Jan 2017 21:40

Flight (or pass/bags) originated in Alaska.

Airbubba 6th Jan 2017 22:04


Originally Posted by standbykid (Post 9632541)
Air Canada have said no one by that name was on any of their flights.

It now looks like he took Delta 1088 ANC-MSP and Delta 2182 MSP-FLL.

Guns are very common in checked baggage out of ANC in my experience.

Years ago a jumpseating cargo pilot fired a round into the American Airlines ticket counter at ANC while trying to show that his firearm was unloaded. Don't know if he still got the ride.

FIRESYSOK 6th Jan 2017 22:19

One thing these latest 'incidents' have in common: most if not all involved had had prior contact with the FBI.

TowerDog 6th Jan 2017 22:20

The suspect showed up several months ago at the FBI office in Anchorage, law enforcement officials told CNN. He was interviewed and said he was hearing voices in his head, including some telling him to join ISIS. He was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, the officials said. He voluntarily checked himself in, the officials explained

Evey_Hammond 6th Jan 2017 22:48

The planes sat on the runway for the past 5 or so hours have had issues with running out of food & water, full loos that needed draining, not enough fuel to reach their original destinations so will need refuelling and so on. There are also issues with infants running out of formula and a diabetic needing substantial meal (or an ambulance will be needed). There's also the issue that the pilots aren't receiving much information (to pass onto the passengers).

The pilot is the person in charge of the plane, and the passengers, so hypothetically in this scenario can the pilot allow the passengers to disembark? I'm not saying it would be the best idea, just wondering.

Airbubba 6th Jan 2017 23:40


Originally Posted by FIRESYSOK (Post 9632641)
One thing these latest 'incidents' have in common: most if not all involved had had prior contact with the FBI.

Looks like Santiago's visit to the ANC FBI to report his call to jihad by ISIS was only a few weeks ago.

This article raises a possible air rage angle and gives the suspect's rap sheet history of traffic tickets, domestic violence, kiddie porn and non-payment of rent.


Police: Suspected Gunman Got Into An Argument During Flight

January 6, 2017 5:20 PM

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) — Federal law enforcement sources said the suspected gunman in a deadly attack at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport got into an argument during his flight from Alaska to Florida.

They’re now investigating whether that’s what set off a shooting rampage that left 5 dead and 8 others wounded.

Esteban Santiago-Ruiz, 26, took a flight from Alaska to Florida Friday with a stop in Minnesota, officials said. Somewhere along the way, he got into an argument.

Passengers are legally allowed to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are unloaded, secured in a lock box and not brought on board the plane as a carry-on. They must be declared to the airline at check-in.

Earlier reports claimed Santiago-Ruiz came in on a flight from Canada. On the company’s Twitter account, Air Canada confirmed that no one by that name was on their flight.

Air Canada flights arrive to Terminal 2, where the shooting took place.

It was later determined that Santiago-Ruiz was on a Delta Air Lines flight.

Police were able to apprehend the suspect without having to fire their own weapons when he apparently ran out of bullets. Witnesses said he threw down his firearm and laid down on the floor.

Santiago-Ruiz was born to Puerto Rican parents in New Jersey and recently became a father of a baby boy.

According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon said he went AWOL several times as a specialist during a stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted to private first class. He was given a general discharge, which is different from an honorable discharge.

In November 2016, he walked into an FBI office in Anchorage claiming that he was being forced to fight for ISIS and was sent to a psychiatric hospital, officials revealed.

In 2011 or 2012, he was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations for child porn. Three weapons and a computer were seized, but there was not enough evidence to prosecute, according to law enforcement sources.

Santiago also has a record for minor traffic violations and was evicted in 2015 for not paying rent.

He wasn’t hurt in the incident and no one else was taken into custody.
Police: Suspected Gunman Got Into An Argument During Flight « CBS Miami


Originally Posted by Evey_Hammond (Post 9632677)
The planes sat on the runway for the past 5 or so hours have had issues with running out of food & water, full loos that needed draining, not enough fuel to reach their original destinations so will need refuelling and so on. There are also issues with infants running out of formula and a diabetic needing substantial meal (or an ambulance will be needed). There's also the issue that the pilots aren't receiving much information (to pass onto the passengers).

I agree, these terror incidents can be so inconvenient for the survivors. :{

CityofFlight 6th Jan 2017 23:57

The FBI should've put him on a flying watch list. The guy came to them, fully showing he had issues. He never should've been allowed to have a weapon, much less be allowed to check one in coming to the lower 48, with psychiatric issues. This is where the system fails, time and time again.

Intruder 7th Jan 2017 01:54

Yep! The "privacy" laws counteract the "security" laws, so psychiatric deficits are NOT reported and entered into the NICS database. Therefore, a nutcase can still buy guns.

peekay4 7th Jan 2017 05:23

Nowadays most states (including Alaska) have laws mandating inclusion of relevant psychiatric records into the federal database. As such the NICS database contains millions of mental health records.

However, federal laws only bar those with very severe mental illnesses from purchasing guns -- specifically those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution, or otherwise declared by a court or other authority as being "mentally defect".

Only a handful of states have additional restrictions, and Alaska isn't one of them. Even in Seattle, you can check yourself into a mental hospital on Monday, then buy a handgun on Tuesday.

In this case it's not clear if the alleged shooter was involuntarily committed after he approached the FBI back in November. Besides, Alaska doesn't require background checks for all gun purchases.

It is interesting that quite a few of these "mass shooters" have had relatively recent FBI / Homeland Security involvement.

ExXB 7th Jan 2017 08:18


Originally Posted by Huck (Post 9632841)
Would never never be allowed through TSA screening.

And the TSA has a 100% success rate in preventing guns, and Swiss Army knives, from being taken on board.

{sarcasm}

westhawk 7th Jan 2017 08:56

He declared the weapon at origin and complied with the packaging requirement. Ammunition and magazines may be carried in the same locked container as the gun. It seems that after recovering the lawfully packaged weapon from the baggage claim, he went to the restroom, removed it from his now claimed baggage, loaded it and came out firing soon after. It was only when he used the gun that he committed a serious unlawful act.

So it won't be long before the calls for a ban on the practice of legally transporting a firearm in checked baggage. Won't do a bit of good. For every precaution taken, there are several other ways to achieve the same or worse outcome by another route.

Trav a la 7th Jan 2017 09:48

Being allowed to check in a firearm is one thing but ALSO allowing ammunition for the firearm is another.

I'm quite shocked to hear that this is allowed.

Surely it would be common sense to not allow live ammunition on domestic flights.

ExXB 7th Jan 2017 10:18

As the baggage reclaim areas at many US airports are 'land side' restricting what can be carried in checked baggage would make no sense. Someone can just walk off the street, legally loaded to bear, and do their worse.

Putting baggage claim 'air side' would make no sense either as pax would have access to naughty things in their checked luggage.

Redesigning every US airport to put baggage claim between the two won't happen.

homonculus 7th Jan 2017 11:37

Goodness gracious gentlemen

Surely this is about a young man who is possibly schitzophrenic asking for help who then uses a legally held gun to kill fellow citizens. What is needed is better mental health care to treat his illness. What diagnosis was made? What treatment was given? Yes it would be sensible to withhold gun licenses from people with ongoing mental health issues but he could have used a knife as others have done so many times in the UK... It is nothing to do with airports or gun carriage. He could just as easily have run amok in a cinema or mall......like others have

I suspect he will be incarcerated for 100 years or so rather than being given treatment. And the killing will go on. Mental health isnt sexy. Either side of the pond

westhawk 7th Jan 2017 11:39


Surely it would be common sense to not allow live ammunition on domestic flights.

From an air safety perspective, I'm more concerned by electronic devices and their batteries. Small quantities of packaged small arms ammo is unlikely to become a serious safety hazard .

From a security perspective, there's not much to stop armed perpetrators from simply entering the terminal from the street side. This crime occurred outside the security perimeter, where most airports should be considered relatively soft targets. Perhaps similar to shopping malls in terms of access control, though usually superior in terms of police response.

I think the pertinent question might be how much security do we desire and what will we trade for it?

ericsson16 7th Jan 2017 12:48

westhawk "Small quantities of packaged small arms ammo is unlikely to become a serious safety hazard . " Esteban Santiago agrees with you wholeheartedly!

wrench1 7th Jan 2017 13:10

Thank you, Homonculus.

Having had to deal with someone who has mental health issues, until we drag this social taboo subject out in the open and collectively deal with it, these preventable, senseless acts will continue whether by gun, knife, or flying a perfectly good airplane into a mountain.

paperHanger 7th Jan 2017 14:32

When I'm not sitting at the front playing with the controls, I have been know to do a bit of shooting, long range rifle competitions. I have flown to a fair few competitions in far away places, the procedures vary, but, in general, collecting a firearm straight off the luggage belt is normal. In times past they used to put a big red "FIREARM" tag on the transit case. For reasons unknown the procedure for ammunition seems to vary greatly, some places don't like it in the same case, some don't care. One flight (some years ago) the captain didn't like the idea of the ammo in the same case in the hold as the rifle, so they offloaded it, and made me extract the ammo and bring it as cabin baggage, I kid you not.

I have been known to stand right at the far end of the conveyor, just so the entire flight gets to gawp at it as it slides past.

The reality is, that while seeing it making it's way around the baggage conveyor is odd, once you step through the customs gate, you are out there in the foyer with the rest of the locals who may be carrying handguns, or not, and certainly out in the street a few metres away, it's situation normal. Going into an airport, yes, its a sterile area, coming out, it is not.

Greg_S 7th Jan 2017 15:20

PaperHanger: I have not checked a firearm on a flight in 10+ years, but the check in procedure was what usually freaked out other passengers more, as we would have to get the weapon out of the case and prove it was unloaded right there in the terminal counter. Needless to say, there were many with an alarmed expression on their faces as I pulled an AR15 out of a case and racked the bolt.
Has anything changed significantly in the last 10 years?


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