Fort Lauderdale airport shooting survivor saved by his laptop
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Steve Frappier had just arrived from Atlanta when the suspected gunman started his rampage.
“A man yelled out, ‘This guy’s got a gun, get down,’ and then we all dropped to the floor,” Frappier said.
Frappier dropped to the floor and watched from a few feet away as Esteban Santiago calmly walked through the baggage claim and shot travelers ducking for cover.
“The shooter, the entire time through the ordeal, never said a single word,” Frappier said. “And he never-- and he was cool as a cucumber the entire time. That’s when I knew this guy’s trained ... I’m on the ground, and I’m watching people 10-to-15 feet in front of me get hit in the head.”
Olga Woltering was one of the five people killed. The Marrieta, Georgia, resident was a great-grandmother and was celebrating her husband’s 90th birthday.
Her family released a statement saying, “Her bright smile and loving manner will be missed by all who had the fortune to know her. She rarely seemed to meet a stranger, rather she had a smile or a hug for all. She was a blessing in the lives of family and friends.”
Terry Andres, 62, was also killed. He was a 12-year volunteer with the Virginia Beach Fire Department.
“He was well liked and respected for both his dedication to being a volunteer as well as his professional approach to his job as a support tech,” his colleagues at the fire department said. “We mourn his passing as we do all the victims of the senseless attack in Fort Lauderdale.”
Frappier is lucky to be alive. During the chaos, he felt a small pinch on the square of his back under his backpack but didn’t think anything of it. When he checked his bag, he found that a bullet had pierced his Apple computer and was rolling around in his backpack.
“It was the laptop, the plastic casing and the type of backpack that I had -- the best thank you gift I ever got in my life,” Frappier said.
Nine victims were admitted to a hospital for treatment, and one victim was released on Saturday.