News

Actions

Ohio woman among Fort Lauderdale airport shooting victims

Posted at 1:08 PM, Jan 08, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-08 13:08:15-05

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- An Ohio woman is one of the five victims of the Florida airport shooting and her husband was critically injured in the attack.

Shirley Timmons was killed when a gunman opened fire in a baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, her grandson Steve Reineccius confirmed Saturday. 

Reineccius said his grandmother and grandfather Steve Timmons, who was wounded in the shooting, were both 70 years old.

The couple had flown to Fort Lauderdale on Friday to join the rest of their family for a cruise, WILE-FM reports.

Steve Timmons was shot in the head and underwent emergency surgery at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, where he's in critical condition, the radio station reported.

The couple's 51st wedding anniversary was in three weeks. They're from Senecaville, about 90 miles east of Columbus.

Friday's shooting sent the airport terminal into chaos, with people scurrying for cover. They started running again when rumors of more gunshots and a possible second shooter spread through the busy airport. Almost 40 others would get hurt in the rushed evacuation after the attack. Some suffered sprains and bruises; others had broken bones.

Law enforcement officials identified Esteban Santiago, 26, as the suspected gunman.

Investigators believe he was planning to carry out his attack for some time, law enforcement officials told CNN on Saturday.

Santiago recently began selling his possessions, including his car, and friends and associates noticed more erratic behavior, investigators have learned from interviews with those who know him.

Authorities are examining writings, including online posts, that in retrospect appear to indicate some period of planning, law enforcement officials said.

Esteban lived in Alaska, where he was a security guard.

Santiago didn't resist when he was taken into custody, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. According to his booking information, Santiago is being held without bond.