CBS4 Reporter Caught Up In Deadly Mass Shooting Chaos At FLL
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – CBS4 reporter Joan Murray was one of hundreds of people caught in the middle of the chaos at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday afternoon after a gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area killing five people and wounding six others.
"It was solid 'pop, pop, pop,' one right behind the other one," an airport employee said.
There was mass confusion in and outside of Terminal 2's baggage claim as a gunman opened fire at a luggage carousel.
Authorities gave no details on a possible motive for the shooting inside Terminal 2, which serves Delta Air Lines and Air Canada.
When Murray arrived on the scene, dozens of police officers came storming out of a parking garage with guns in the air and started yelling at everyone to get on the ground. That's what they did. Everyone laid on the ground as officers yelled, "Get down, get down," reported Murray.
"I started to see people running out, 'shooter, shooter.' So I tried to hide behind a garbage can," said witness Dominic Spabafore. "I saw a guy coming out. He was shot in the arm, he was bleeding like a faucet."
Lazaro Brock shot video of one of the wounded being helped outside Terminal 2.
"If we waited three more minutes we would have been there when it happened."
Then chaos again as armed officers rushed out of Terminal 2 amid reports of more shots fired.
Authorities later confirmed the shooting only happened at Terminal 2.
"There's been no shooting any place else but downstairs Terminal 2," said Sheriff Israel.
Murray, along with everyone else, covered their heads and were eventually moved to the lower level of terminal three. There were about 200 people.
Murray described the scene as chaotic as police rounded up everyone in an open area. They told everyone to raise their arms, including members of the media, and went through everyone's bags searching for weapons.
The gunman has been identified as Esteban Santiago. He was taken into custody and is believed to be a lone shooter. There is no known motive.
"We have begun the difficult task of processing the crime scene," FBI spokesman George Piro. "We have not ruled out terrorism and we will be perusing every angle to try to determine a motive behind this attack."
The names of the shooting victims have not been released pending notification of next of kin.