Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting Marked by Minute of Silence

FORT LAUDERDALE — People getting on planes and visiting the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday stopped what they were doing for a "quietly impactful" minute of silence to honor the victims of last week's airport shooting at the precise moment a lone gunman pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and began indiscriminately shooting.

"We stand here today to honor and remember those who lost their lives and were injured or impacted by this evil," Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said at the Terminal 2 baggage area where the shooting took place. "This is a time of healing, a time for us to acknowledge what happened here one week ago. We cannot let this horrendous event discourage us from being strong and moving forward."

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson and several other members of Florida's congressional delegation sent a letter on Friday to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson urging them to make additional federal resources available to local law enforcement agencies in Fort Lauderdale. The letter was in response to a request from Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who is seeking federal reimbursement for the costs surrounding the massive police response to the attack.

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The accused gunman, Esteban Santiago Ruiz was taken into custody without incident and charged with killing five people and wounding six others at the Terminal 2 baggage claim. He made his initial court appearance on Jan. 9, just days after incident forced the closure of flights and sent the entire airport into lockdown.

At least 10,000 people were held in the airport along with some 23,000 personal items, including carry-on bags and electronics. Those items were still being returned as of Friday.

The "Moment of Reflection" ceremony was held at 12:54 p.m. as a step in the healing process. That was the exact moment the gunman opened fire.

Several hundred people gathered at Terminal 2's central baggage claim area on Friday, including elected officials, ticket agents, TSA agents, baggage handlers, concessionaire staff and other airport personnel in the terminal, which services Delta Airlines and Air Canada passengers.

Attendees also heard remarks by Elder John Brush from the Broward Church of Christ.

Miami Beach resident Missy Greenberg told Patch shortly after the incident that she looked into the eyes of the airport killer during the attack and recalled the terrifying scene.

All of the victims had traveled to Fort Lauderdale to take cruises or were returning from one. They came from Ohio, Delaware, Iowa, Georgia and Virginia. All of the victims were also over the age of 50.

They included 69-year-old Mary Louise Amzibel of Dover, Delaware; 70-year-old Shirley Wells Timmons of Ohio; 57-year-old Michael John Oehme of Council Bluffs, Iowa; 84-year-old Olga M. Woltering of Marietta, Georgia and 62-year-old Terry Michael Andres of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Following the minute of silence, the Terminal 2 baggage claim area was fully reopened and returned to service.

"We will never forget the senseless loss of life we experienced here, but I am humbled by the extraordinary efforts I see by our employees and our partners to return to normal," said airport CEO and Director of Aviation Mark Gale. "This airport is a gateway to one of the most beautiful places in the world, and we are open for business."

Photo courtesy of Miami Beach police.