At Least Five Dead In Shooting At Florida Airport, Gunman In Custody

Officials say a gunman killed five people at an airport in Florida before being apprehended by authorities.

The Broward County Sheriff’s office said on its Twitter feed that five people were confirmed dead as a result of the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and that eight others were wounded and taken to an area hospital.

The shooter opened fire in a baggage claim area, the airport said in a tweet.

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, who represents Florida, identified the shooter as Estaban Santiago and said he was carrying military identification, but it was unclear if it belonged to him.

In an interview with CNN, Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief described the gunman as a “lone shooter” and said that “we have no evidence at this time that he was acting with anyone else.”

“He is in custody, and we are currently investigating,” Sharief said.

TV networks reported that security officials had gathered passengers into several areas at the airport, and live footage showed passengers walking across an airport tarmac. All flights were were suspended after the incident.

Ari Fleischer, a former White House spokesman under President George W. Bush, tweeted that he was at the airport when shots were fired and that “everyone is running.”

Fort Lauderdale is a popular destination and travel hub for tourists vacationing in southern Florida.