Delta Air Lines said it is cancelling its flights to Fort Lauderdale for the remainder of Friday and that flight disruptions would continue into Saturday, after a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport's baggage claim area in Terminal 2 where Delta operates.
The Associated Press reported that the gunman was identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who was immediately taken into custody. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, according to the Associated Press.
The move coincides with the Federal Aviation Administration issuing a nationwide groundstop for flights through Fort Lauderdale.
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is closed and is expected to remain closed through Saturday evening. Other airline flights are also being cancelled.
Delta said it will re-accommodate passengers who planned to fly to or from Fort Lauderdale by rescheduling them for flights at Miami or West Palm Beach airports. The airline said customers should check their flight status.
The airline also said it was working with cruise officials to transfer customers via bus to and from the airports in Miami and West Palm Beach for cruises.
Atlanta-based Delta said it cancelled a total of 14 flights in the wake of the shooting. It also diverted six flights to Fort Lauderdale by 3:45 p.m. Friday, directing those flights instead to airports in Palm Beach, Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville.
Delta operates as many as 33 flights a day from Fort Lauderdale on routes to nine different cities.
The airline said it is also sending employees to Fort Lauderdale to help families and friends of customers and employees who may have been affected by the shooting.
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