Update: Sunday January 8, 2017
FLL Airport Announces Retrieval Process Underway for Luggage and Personal Items
Broward County’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is working diligently to return abandoned items that were left in the airport’s terminals. A professional company has started the process of identifying ownership of personal items. They have been working to return the items to individuals. The Airport has collected over 23,000 items and therefore the distribution of these items will take time.
Items are being returned through the following steps:
Items Identified with an Airline or Identification Tag:
If your luggage is tagged with an Airline or identification tag, we are coordinating with the airlines to return these items and they will contact you for return.
Items With Owner Identification:
If your items have identification, the Airport will contact you.
Items With No Apparent Owner:
A website is being created for items that do not have an apparent owner. Items will be posted online so owners can identify their belonging(s) and provide contact information necessary for reclaiming. You will be asked a series of questions to identify the items. The website address will be announced as soon as it is available.
Information collected from those that call the toll free number is also being used to match baggage and personal items with their rightful owners.
The process of returning items to their owners is already in progress. We request passengers to please be patient since this is a challenging process and returning items to their rightful owners is our priority.
Keep checking our website, or the airport website for updates, or follow us on Twitter @FLLFLYER.
For other incident-related questions, call the Broward County Call Center at 866-435-9355.
Update: Saturday, January 7
Update from Broward Sheriff’s Office The FBI is the lead in the investigation. Once FBI makes family notifications, the names of the deceased will be released through Broward County’s Medical Examiner’s Office.
Customers seeking information about luggage left on a Delta aircraft in #FLL please call 888-977-1005
Ft Lauderdale Airport- Travelers that need ID can now get gov’t issued ID on the lower level between Terminals 1 and 2. Look for the large buses marked DMV. #FLLUpdate
Broward County “Vehicles that were left in airport roadways have been towed and can be reclaimed at Mac’s Towing, 418 SW 2nd Place, Dania Beach, FL 33004, 954-923-8218. There is no charge to reclaim your vehicle.”
#FLL is collecting and processing 20,000+ bags and personal items left from the evacuation. This is a time consuming and complex process.
Update from JetBlue
Security Incident at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 8:30 PM ET
We are saddened by today’s tragedy at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and our thoughts go out to the victims and their families. Due to this incident, the FLL airport is currently closed and all JetBlue flights in and out of FLL have been suspended through at least 10 a.m. E.T. Saturday morning, January 7. We will continue to work with local authorities to determine when operations can resume.
- Customers can check flights status at www.jetblue.com/flightstatus and follow airport updates at https://twitter.com/FLLFlyer.
- For customers whose FLL-bound flights were diverted to other cities in Florida, JetBlue will provide bus transportation from the diversion cities.
- Customers on cancelled FLL-departing flights who need to retrieve their checked-in baggage may call JetBlue Central Baggage Services at 1-866-538-5438 to arrange for delivery.
- For customers needing to adjust travel plans who were scheduled to travel today, Friday January 6, 2017 through Sunday, January 8, 2017 to/from Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL), JetBlue will waive all change/cancel fees and differences in fare.
- Customers may rebook their flights for travel through Thursday, January 12, 2017.
Friday 10:00 pm
In Case You Missed it…..Here’s the Latest…
The FBI, BSO and FLL held a brief news conference at the airport.
FBI working closely with BSO. They are processing the crime scene.
Complex investigation. Subject is in Federal custody.
FBI-“We have not ruled out terrorism”
Subject flew from Alaska/Minn/FLL
Law enforcement needs time to understand shooter’s motivation.
Not prepared to release type of weapon shooter used.
FBI confirmed that the individual did walk in to FBI office in Alaska, voluntarily. Had a mental health evaluation. FBI closed assessment.
FBI investigating leads from other states. Not ruling out anything.
Esteban Santiago, the accused shooter, will make first court appearance Monday.
10,000 passengers have been transported to Port Everglades. Goal is to have FLL operational at 5 am on Saturday.
9:41 Update
Airport posts another hotline number for friends and family at #FLL 954 831-4000
6:50 PM Update
Passengers stranded on the tarmac and on grounded airplanes at FLL are complaining, via social media, about lack of food, water and medicine.
6:30 PM Update
Delta cancels Fort Lauderdale flights; activates care team
Delta expects continued disruption to Fort Lauderdale flying for the rest of the day, following reports of a shooting in the baggage claim area in Terminal 2 where Delta operate. The airline is working closely with law enforcement in their investigation, and out of respect to that investigation, details about the suspect will come from law enforcement officials.
Specially trained Delta Care Team members have been activated and are traveling to Fort Lauderdale to assist families and friends of customers and employees who may have been impacted by the shooting at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.
Delta has issued a waiver for customers traveling to or from Fort Lauderdale to change their travel plans free of penalty, and the airline is working to re-accommodate customers. Customers can check the status of their flight at delta.com.
The airport remains closed, and Delta continues to work with local authorities to evaluate when airline operations can resume.
SOURCE Delta Air Lines
5:15 PM Update
Florida Governor Rick Scott is holding a news conference at FLL
FL Gov. Scott on Ft. Lauderdale shooting: “The citizens of Florida will not tolerate senseless acts of evil.”
Resources for displaced passengers are available at FloridaDisaster.org/info
Broward County has a toll-free number for passengers and family members affected by the FLL shooting. The number is 866-435-9355. They have also established a Family Assistance Center at the Renaissance Hotel, 1617 SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.
4:45PM UPDATE: FOLLOWING FROM THE DAILY BEAST:
Esteban Santiago, 26, has been identified as the gunman who opened fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday. Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca wrote on Facebook that Santiago landed at the airport after a flight. Santiago checked a handgun in his luggage and retrieved it at the Terminal 2 baggage claim, LaMarca wrote, adding that he loaded the gun in a bathroom then came out and opened fire.
NBC News, citing law enforcement officials, confirmed LaMarca’s story.
Santiago was taken, alive, into custody. Five people were killed and eight people were wounded by Santiago, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Department. Santiago was born in New Jersey, according to NBC News, and was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. Santiago lived in Anchorage, Alaska from 2014 to 2016.
Alaska court records show a criminal record there for minor traffic infractions including operating a vehicle without insurance and a broken taillight. Records also show his landlord evicted him for non-payment of rent in February 2015. In January 2016, Santiago was charged with two misdemeanor crimes: one count of fourth-degree assault and another for damage of property over $50.
According to a spokesperson from the Anchorage Police department the incident was related to domestic violence. The case was resolved in March when Santiago entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, an alternative to adjudication where a state prosecutor dismissed the charges in exchange for Esteban’s completion of requirements that are unknown.— Brandy Zadrozny
4:30 pm UPDATE: Broward Sheriff Israel was interviewed by WPLG/Ch 10 News. The sheriff said they believe, but haven’t confirmed, that the suspect was a “home grown activist.”
CNN is reporting that “sources” are saying he got into an argument on the plane. CNN adds that this is preliminary information.
Also to clarify the name of the suspect is believed to be Esteban Santiago, from the Naples area.
WPLG/Ch 10 says the suspect was honorably discharged from the military in Dec. 2016.
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4:10pm UPDATE: Suspect has been tentatively identified as Esteban Santiago, from Naples, Florida area. He boarded the flight in Alaska. Made a stop/transfer before continuing to Ft. Lauderdale.
His weapon had been in checked baggage. He retrieved the bag, went into the nearby bathroom, loaded the weapon and exited shooting everyone in sight.
BSO deputy confronted him and suspect surrendered without incident.
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2:50PM UPDATE: Sen Nelson ID’s suspect as having a Military ID. Unknown if active ID.
WATCH CNN LIVE
http://go.cnn.com/?stream=cnn
5 Dead, 8 injured.
Flights that are within 50-miles of the airport will be landing asap.
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This is an ongoing story. Right now this is all we can report….
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY
Ft Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is reporting a gunman fired shots in the baggage claim area of the Delta Airlines terminal.
Officials have not confirmed the death toll but according to Broward Sheriff’s Office, “we have multiple dead.” BSO also confirmed that the suspect is in custody.
The airport is closed to air traffic until further notice. All operations/flights have been suspended until further notice.
People are being asked to call individual airlines for flight updates.
Due to the status of Terminal 2, Delta will be offering a waiver for customers to change their travel plans free of penalty, and will be published to the delta.com homepage soon.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Update from Broward Sheriff @browardsheriff
Please do not call 911. If you have any questions or concerns about the#FLLShooting please call 954-831-4000 or 311. Please be patient.
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