Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.
The shooter pulled a handgun from a checked bag and loaded the weapon in a bathroom before opening fire in the baggage terminal. He was later identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, of New Jersey. He had a military identification card at the time of the shooting.
Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 and was deployed to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon.
A verified photo of Esteban Santiago, identified as the gunman who killed five people and injured eight at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 6, 2017.
WATCH:The FBI says the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect had voluntarily contacted them in November and was evaluated. They say they investigated the suspect and closed their assessment.
Fort Lauderdale suspect had contacted FBI in November
Broward County Sheriff’s office confirmed there was “one subject in custody.”
Story continues below advertisement
Investigators have not ruled out terrorism and they will be “pursuing every angle to try to determine the motive behind this attack,” said George Piro, FBI special agent in charge of the Miami division.
Witness Mark Lea, who was at the airport when the shooting occurred, told Global News that Santiago appeared to be firing at random.
“[The shooter] did not say a single word. No emotion, no yelling, no screaming, just basically… point and shoot… did not target any specific group, person or anything like that,” Lea said.
WATCH: Mark Lea was on his way to a cruise with his wife to celebrate their one year anniversary, but plans came to a halt when a gunman opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida Friday.
‘Gunman did not target any specific group, person’: Passenger at Ft. Lauderdale airport
He added that the shooter did not resist arrest.
Story continues below advertisement
“He ran out of ammunition, retreated back in the same way that he walked in, dropped the gun on the ground… and then he laid face down, spread-eagle on the ground until the deputy came up behind him.”
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
A Broward County official said earlier Friday that the shooter had arrived in Fort Lauderdale aboard a Canadian flight, but a spokesperson for the Canadian embassy in Washington, D.C. said this was not the case.
“We understand from officials he was on a flight originating in Anchorage transiting through Minneapolis and landing Fort Lauderdale,” Christine Constantin said in a statement.
Story continues below advertisement
Santiago flew out of Anchorage on a 9:52 p.m. Delta flight, and his firearm was his only piece of checked luggage, according to Jesse Davis, chief of police at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was in the airport at the time and tweeted “shots have been fired” and “everyone is running” shortly after 1 p.m. ET Friday.
Story continues below advertisement
I'm at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.
The airport was shut down as a result of the shooting and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said flights are being diverted from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
“As of 2:15 p.m., airborne flights that are within about 50 miles from FLL will be landing at the airport. Other airborne flights that are headed to FLL will be delayed or diverted to other airports,” the FAA said in a statement.
An Air Canada spokesperson confirmed its passengers and employees were safe and accounted for.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event that occurred at Fort Lauderdale Airport Terminal 2 today,” the airline said in a statement. “Passengers on our departing flights were safely evacuated on the tarmac and arriving flights 1602 from YUL and 1622 from YYZ are being held off gate for the time being.”
Story continues below advertisement
First responders secure the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport.
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Air Canada also confirmed that the airliner has no record of the suspect being a passenger on any of the company’s flights. Air Canada also said no checked guns were onboard any flights to Fort Lauderdale.
A spokesperson for Air Transat said the airliner operations were not affected by the shooting.
“We are really sorry about what happened at the Fort Lauderdale airport. We are operating from Terminal 4, not Terminal 2, and our operations are not affected at this time,” Debbie Cabana said.
From the Associated Press:
A military spokeswoman says the suspect in a deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport received a general discharge from the Alaska Army National Guard last year for unsatisfactory performance.
Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead did not release details about 26-year-old Esteban Santiago’s discharge in August 2016. Olmstead said that he joined the Guard in November 2014.
Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen said that Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, the 1013th engineer company out of Aguadilla.
Olmstead also said that Santiago had served in the Army Reserves prior to joining the Alaska Army National Guard.
James Armstrong
Governor of Florida says “this is a senseless act of evil.”
James Armstrong
Governor of Florida says he has spoken to President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice-President Elect Mike Pence but has not spoken to President Barack Obama.
He said he has not reached out to Obama, nor has Obama reached out to him.
James Armstrong
Governor of Florida says “pray for those individuals in the hospital… pray that every one survives.”
James Armstrong
Governor of Florida says this is an ongoing investigation.
Comments