SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Officials at Lindbergh Field announced heightened security staffing at the bayside air-travel hub following this morning's deadly mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
"This increased presence is not in response to any specific threat to the airport or San Diego," said Rebecca Bloomfield, a spokeswoman for San Diego International Airport. "It is simply an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and security of travelers."
Our thoughts are with those in the Ft. Lauderdale community.
— San Diego Airport (@SanDiegoAirport) January 6, 2017
A lone shooter opened fire shortly before 10 a.m. Pacific time at a baggage-claim area inside the East Coast airport, killing at least five people and wounding as many as nine others, according to news reports.
Following the deadly rampage, the alleged gunman, identified as 26-year- old Esteban Santiago of New Jersey, tossed away his weapon, lay face down on the floor and waited for security personnel to arrest him, a witness told ABC News.
The motive for the killings was unknown.
10News Reporter Jessica Chen is at the San Diego International Airport today and shared this information for travelers:
Two American flights that were in the air destined for FLL have landed safely, and are being held away from the terminal. Two other flights have diverted to other nearby airports. All American flights into FLL have been cancelled through 8 p.m. ET tonight.Due to the security situation, American has a travel alert in place for customers that are scheduled to fly to/from FLL Jan. 6 and 7. This alert allows customers to rebook their travel without change fees. Customers can reschedule their travel on aa.com by retrieving their reservation, or contact American reservations at +1-800-433-7300 in the U.S. or Canada. Customers calling from outside the U.S. or Canada should check aa.com for our worldwide reservation phone numbers. Customers are also encouraged to check the status of their flight on aa.com.
