Friends, Family Of Shooting Victims Try Making Sense Of Senseless Act
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Five people remain hospitalized at Broward Health Medical Center after Friday's shooting at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.
Two of them remain in critical condition.
"This was the most terrifying situation of my life. I truly didn't know if I was going to live or die," said Annika Dean. "A man climbed on top of my body and, as he did, he said 'I will protect you.'"
The victims of this shooting appear to have at least one thing in common -- they were passing through Fort Lauderdale on their way to a cruise vacation.
Olga Woltering, an 84-year-old great grandmother from Marietta, Georgia, is one of the victims of the mass shooting. She was with her husband Ralph as they were set to enjoy a cruise celebrating his 90th birthday.
"The whole neighborhood is distraught over it," said neighbor Jim Lannen. "They were such a wonderful pair and they meant the world to all of us."
Lannen has known the Woltering's for 15 years.
"We're a close-knit community here," he said. "They've been on the board of directors, they were the most wonderful neighbors anyone could ever have."
Pictures on social media prove that the Woltering's make family their first priority.
Relatives released a statement about Olga 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 volunteer firefighter from Virginia Beach whose colleagues said, "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. We mourn his passing as we do all the victims of the senseless attack in Ft. Lauderdale."
Steve Frappier, 37, was just a few feet away from where the violence unfolded inside the baggage claim at terminal 2 inside the airport.
"I'm on the ground and I'm watching people 10 to 15 feet in front of me getting hit in the head," Frappier said. "The shooter, the entire time, never said a word."
Frappier said he felt a pinch in his upper back during the ordeal but didn't pay attention to it. Later, he said he looked inside his backpack and discovered a bullet pierced his laptop and was inside his bag.
"It was the laptop, the plastic casing and the backpack that I had. It was the best thank you gift I ever got in my life," Frappier said.
There are reports tonight that two of the other fatalities were also people headed to Port Everglades for cruises. One was a man in his 50's from Iowa who was with his wife. Another was a woman in her 70's whose husband was also shot and is in the hospital.
According to the Broward Health Medical Center, two survivors were released from the hospital Sunday and, out of the five victims who remain hospitalized, four had gunshot wounds.
