- Title: Thousands stranded at Ft. Lauderdale airport after shooting
- Date: 7th January 2017
- Summary: FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 6, 2017) (REUTERS) WIDE OF STRANDED PASSENGERS MORE PASSENGERS WAITING FOR SHUTTLE BUSES WOMAN HOLDING HER CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAXIMA BOM, 29-YEAR OLD, DUTCH TOURIST, SAYING: "Four customs officers ran around the corner and it was really horrifying. And they were yelling 'run, run' and a mass of people were behind them running." MORE OF PASSENGERS WAITING FOR BUSES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAXIMA BOM, 29-YEAR OLD, DUTCH TOURIST, SAYING: "I lost everything, my passport, my wallet. I don't even know how I'm getting home but I am really glad that I am alive." ELDERLY WOMAN IN WHEELCHAIR WAITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) REBECCA HOCKE, 20-YEAR-OLD CANADIAN TOURIST, SAYING: "The pilot said that we were probably in the most secure area so that was good to know but it also added kind of a tense feeling knowing that it was that serious out here (in the terminal), that we were right in the situation but we were safe where we were. It's kind of surreal but we made it and we are alive so that is all that matters." MORE OF STRANDED PASSENGERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANSANTE GUNEWARDENA, CRUISE SHIP WORKER FROM LOS ANGELES, SAYING: "We thought we would get to the airport early to make sure we got all of our baggage through and then all we hear was screaming and everyone ducking and running out. We were told to evacuate so we had to grab all of our bags and come out here. We have been out here for about 9 or 10 hours now." PEOPLE BOARDING SHUTTLE BUSES
- Embargoed: 22nd January 2017 04:35
- Keywords: Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect passengers stranded
- Location: FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- City: FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA0015Y2XXZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of passengers, some stuck on planes for several hours and some running for their lives, were left stranded in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday (January 6) after a gunman opened fire killing 5 people and injuring at least 8 in a baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
29-year-old Maxima Bom, on holiday in South Florida from Amsterdam said she thought she was going to die just minutes after arriving to the airport to fly home.
"Four customs officers ran around the corner and it was really horrifying. And they were yelling 'run, run' and a mass of people were behind them running," she said.
"I lost everything, my passport, my wallet. I don't even know how I'm getting home but I am really glad that I am alive," she added before boarding a bus to the Fort Lauderdale convention center where many of the stranded passengers will spend the night.
20-year-old Rebecca Hock, a tourist from Ontario, Canada said her flight was just minutes from takeoff when the pilot came on her planes speaker system to inform her and her fellow passengers of the shooting in the airport terminal.
"The pilot said that we were probably in the most secure area so that was good to know but it also added kind of a tense feeling knowing that it was that serious out here (in the terminal)." Hock said she was on the plane for more than 9 hours before they disembarked. "It's kind of surreal but we made it and we are alive so that is all that matters," she added.
Asante Gunewardena was about to check in for his flight back home to Los Angeles with his mother when the shooting began.
"We thought we would get to the airport early to make sure we got all of our baggage through and then all we hear was screaming and everyone ducking and running out. We were told to evacuate so we had to grab all of our bags and come out here. We have been out here for about 9 or 10 hours now," he said.
More than 10 hours since the shooting the airport remained on lock down with hundreds of law enforcement personnel still on the scene.
Several dozen buses have begun arriving to the airport to shuttle the stranded passengers to various locations around Fort Lauderdale to spend the night.
Airport officials say the Ft. Lauderdale airport is not expected to reopen until 0500 eastern (1000 GMT) on Saturday (July 7) at earliest. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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