Connect with us

Breaking

Canadians reported safe after Florida airport shooting that left five dead

Published

on

The office of Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said it had no immediate information about Canadian citizens being among the five people reported dead or eight injured after a gunman opened fire. (Photo: Laurel L. Russwurm/Flickr)

The office of Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said it had no immediate information about Canadian citizens being among the five people reported dead or eight injured after a gunman opened fire. (Photo: Laurel L. Russwurm/Flickr)

TORONTO—Canadian government officials were trying to determine whether any Canadians were among the casualties of a mass shooting Friday in the baggage area of the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The office of Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said it had no immediate information about Canadian citizens being among the five people reported dead or eight injured after a gunman opened fire.

Air Canada and WestJet had said all their passengers and employees at the Fort Lauderdale airport were accounted for and safe.

A statement from a Florida official that the shooter had travelled to Florida on a Canadian flight sent officials in Ottawa scrambling, but Global Affairs Canada said the shooter had not been a passenger on any Canadian flight, and the plane on which the gunman arrived did not originate in Canada.

Both Global Affairs and the Department of National Defence also said they were not aware of any requests for assistance from U.S. authorities.

U.S. authorities said a man identified as Esteban Santiago was arrested after the shooting inside Terminal 2, which serves Air Canada and Delta. The rampage sparked pandemonium and shut down the airport.

Air Canada and WestJet, which service Fort Lauderdale, said they had no record of any passenger with the name of the suspect or of any checked guns on any of their Friday’s flights to the U.S. city.

“We can confirm that we have no record of such a passenger by that name,” Air Canada tweeted.

“WestJet can confirm that we have no record of the alleged suspect on the passenger manifests for any of our Fort Lauderdale-bound flights,” a spokeswoman said.

Under Canadian air safety rules, passengers can only pack firearms in their checked baggage provided the weapons are unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided container. Passengers must also declare the firearms at check-in.

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email that passengers on the airline’s departing flights were safely evacuated on the tarmac. Those on flights arriving from Montreal and Toronto were being held off gate while the terminal remained closed.

Air Canada implemented a rebooking policy for passengers travelling to and from Fort Lauderdale on Friday and Saturday, Fitzpatrick said.

WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart said the airline was monitoring the situation but believed its passengers and staff were safe.

“As of now, four WestJet flights are affected,” Stewart said late Friday afternoon, adding about 520 passengers were affected by cancellations and delays. “No flights are allowed to land at FLL, so we have cancelled two flights and a third is being diverted to Montreal.”

A fourth flight was holding on the ground waiting to leave for Ottawa at Fort Lauderdale’s Terminal One.

A Twitter user from Manitoba named Liam said he was at the airport when the shooting happened.

“Im at the ft lauderdale airport and just went through the most terrifying experience in my life,” read the tweet.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Entertainment1 day ago

GMA Network triumphs at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2024

As it takes bold steps to embrace the industry’s rapid digital advancements, media giant GMA Network was among the broadcasting...

Entertainment1 day ago

“Pulang Araw” debuts early on Netflix; GMA drops trailer of the groundbreaking series

GMA Network’s highly-anticipated drama, “Pulang Araw,” is set to premiere on Netflix this July 26. In a first for the Network, the...

Immigration1 day ago

Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association recommends IRPA legislation reform

Last month, members of the Legislative Reform Committee from the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) released a report outlining how CILA would...

burger burger
Food1 day ago

Are plant-based burgers really bad for your heart? Here’s what’s behind the scary headlines

We’re hearing a lot about ultra-processed foods and the health effects of eating too many. And we know plant-based foods...

human anatomy human anatomy
Health1 day ago

Body organs aren’t always where they are supposed to be

Organs in the body tend to be in a set order and position. This is useful when it comes to...

Canada News1 day ago

10 ways to support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth this Pride Month

June is Pride Month in many parts of the world. It commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City...

people walking on pedestrian people walking on pedestrian
Health1 day ago

Despite improved WHO regulations, the world remains ill-prepared for the next pandemic

The international community’s recent failure to conclude a global pandemic agreement leaves large gaps in our capacity to deal with...

Business and Economy1 day ago

Apple insists its ChatGPT tie-up will protect users’ privacy: here are the questions it must answer first

Apple, a company known for its longstanding commitment to user privacy, has received flak since unveiling its artificial intelligence (AI)...

bank buildings bank buildings
Business and Economy1 day ago

The Lib Dems want to tax the banks more – is this a good idea?

The Liberal Democrats were the first party to unveil their manifesto and the first party to break ranks and declare...

water faucet water faucet
Canada News1 day ago

Calgary water shortages: Key ways to reduce your water footprint

The water main break that’s impacted Calgary, and the voluntary water use reductions that have followed, has been a wake-up...

WordPress Ads