The video above (published by TMZ) documents the very first moments of the Ft. Lauderdale airport shooting. The suspect is seen calmly entering the frame of the video from the left, pulling a concealed firearm from the front of his pants (in the “appendix carry” position), and begins firing at targets as people scatter.

This video adds detail to the statement from the police that the suspect retrieved and loaded his firearm from his checked bag in the bathroom and “came out firing,” showing that he calmly walked some distance down the baggage claim area possibly towards a higher concentration of people before revealing his intent.

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60 COMMENTS

  2. The whole focus on the mental health aspect of this is a distraction, a squirrel to throw US law enforcement off the trail.

      • Supposedly went by an Arabic name on myspace since 2007. Haven’t heard anything definite though.

      • Off the trail of ‘Sudden Jihad Syndrome’. Not saying it’s necessarily the case here, but most times when a self-declared soldier of Islam decides to cull the apostates, the MSM defaults to ‘mental illness’ as the explanation. Personally I think anyone who deliberately converts to Islam likely has some ‘daddy issues’, but that idea isn’t allowed in polite society.

    • He may or may not have had actual “mental health” issues, but the media is trying very hard to ignore the obsession he had with ISIS. It is highly probable that none of his other problems would have resulted in a calculated trip to a remote destination (legally passing his firearm through all the TSA requirements) to shoot random infidels had he not been influenced by the ISIS propaganda. As usual the press does not want this to be anything other than a gun-loving nutcase shooting unarmed people. Any link to jihadi terrorism must be suppressed.

    • A squirrel to help the press throw the public off the trail, more like. Law enforcement already knows all about this guy’s shady Islamic connections & jihad fixation.

      But all we’re going to hear from the state-worshiping leftists in the Fourth Estate (or is it the Fifth Column?) is how we’ll never know the true motives of the crazy White Hispanic perpetrator.

      • And until at least 1/20/17, federal law enforcement seems to be taking their marching orders from the media.

        Look at how the idiotic media obsession with “Russians hacking the election” is sending intel/law enforcement off into rabbit trails right now, when there are more important issues.

        • The Left is getting desperate. They only have a handful of days left to sabotage Trump’s administration.

          Right now most of them are still locked in the anger stage of grief. I admit I was enjoying watching them lose their sh*t for the first two weeks or so, but it’s more than a little ironic they call themselves ‘Progressives’ yet they are frozen on the denial and anger stage of grief.

          There is a hatred of Trump in a lot of them that I fear is now pathological. It won’t be improving. As much as I’m looking forward to the next four years, I’m worried some of them may snap like rubber bands…

    • So he had to be either mentally ill OR a terrorist?

      Is it impossible, inconceivable or even unlikely that he might actually be BOTH??

      • Hammer, meet nail.

        If he has serious mental illness problems I would suggest that such disability or disabilities made him more susceptible to propaganda especially if it fed into some paranoia he already had.

      • No, I didn’t say that.

        I said to ignore the focus on mental health. There’s a positive obsession with the crazy-train aspect of this, and a nearly complete silence on the Islamist aspect.

        • I wasn’t aware your average TTAG commenters are qualified mental health and terrorism experts. We must have a pretty rare group of highly educated people with a lot of time on their hands here.

          In all seriousness though, none or at least very few of us here are remotely qualified to determine exactly why this man did what he did, especially given the very little information we have at our disposal and the fact that none of us has had the opportunity to give this man a comprehensive mental health examination.

          What we do know, is that a lot of people who do crazy things like shoot up random people at an airport are mentally disturbed. Could religion play a role? Certainly, but we don’t know what or how much of a role religion, mental health, etc. played yet. To act like we do is rather silly.

    • Wow. You’re a dense idiot. Of course he was mentally ill. Do you think sane people join ISIS? and I’ve seen plenty of media reports talking about his ISIS inspiration? Go adjust your tin foil hat.

      • Yes, sane people join ISIS. Just like sane people became NAZIs and sane people become Marxists. Sanity does not preclude indoctrination into a religion or ideology, even an extreme one.

        Mental instability might make one more susceptible to indoctrination than most, on the other hand.

      • Yes, perfectly sane people, both male and female, join ISIS.

        If you think people who join ISIS (or similar groups) need to be insane, or can be categorized as insane, then your sort of thinking is why we’re in the problems we are with these groups. You’re underestimating and dismissing the enemy.

  4. What an asshole. Facts are not out but if it’s true he volunteering walked into the FBI and started talking crazy then why didn’t they have a eye on him?

    • Because they can’t watch everyone who walks in talking crazy/telling them something and hindsight is 20/20.

      The FBI gets thousands of walk-in tips a day nationwide. This one happened to be legit. They didn’t miss it per-se they handed him off the mental-health professionals who really couldn’t do anything about this guy.

      People said the same sort of things about James Holmes but it’s a tough area of the law to deal with.

      • Walk-ins are a problem in the FBI.

        G.Gordon Liddy tells the tale of the huge, impressive office at the Wash, DC office close to the front doors.

        He say’s it’s exactly like someone would image the Director’s office would look like, but it’s sole purpose is keeping the whackos from taking up the working agent’s time.

        Agents assigned to it consider it a punishment detail…

        • Even when another intel organization (eg, the Russians) give the FBI information on a silver platter, they decide to put their fingers in their ears.

          eg, the Tsarnaev brothers and the Boston Marathon bombing. The FBI was served that information on a platter. What did they do?

          Same as here. Nothing.

  5. Interesting that he didn’t come out of the bathroom shooting but rather Mexican carrying. Makes you wonder what his thought process was in shooting which people and whatnot. I guess he wanted to get fairly close and not just shoot at people. Honestly this video almost looks like a targeted assassination attempt.

    The lady who hides behind the luggage cart… The overall reaction of the people behind him… yikes. At least the one old guy had the sense to get that old lady behind something that wasn’t see through. Not sure what that cart dispenser will stop but at least it’s better than the luggage cart in plain view.

  6. It will be interesting to see what sort of defense his legal council presents in court, since there is no possible doubt that he is guilty of the crime(s). Not guilty by reason of insanity is the only thing that I can see, but I’m sure they will be more creative than that. Maybe he’ll demand to represent himself?

  7. Hmmm…looked like the lowlife was looking for old white people that couldn’t run or get on the floor quickly enough. And he succeeded. I’m not blaming the FBi-oh wait I am. I suppose rambling on about ISIS and being insane isn’t enough. Whatever-he AIN’T no white hispanic!

  8. Who remembers the video of the guy shooting at the White House with an SKS during the Clinton Administration? And how two random bystanders just bum-rushed him from behind? I’m sure someone was behind this guy…if you’re in font of a shooter, I get the duck & cover response. But if he can’t see me, what he can’t see can definitely hurt him.

  9. You know, if someone with a CCW an was carrying their gun was behind the shooter the moment he pulled out his gun and fired, they could have closed the distance and shot the shooter before he could load another magazine and keep going.

    Trump’s right, these gun free zones do not work.

    • 99.9% of people in an airport DO NOT HAVE A GUN ON THEM. They are either about to get on a plane, or just got off a plane. Those with CCW permits probably enjoy their guns not being taken away by TSA and follow the guideline on traveling with a firearm.

      The people who do have guns on them are ones like this guy. One’s going out of their way to do wrong

      • “The people who do have guns on them are ones like this guy. One’s going out of their way to do wrong”

        I’ve strapped my gun on in that same bathroom.

  10. Mental illness is a huge problem in this country that doesn’t get nearly as much funding as it needs.

  11. In Israel when a Moslem attacks law enforcement/military AND civilians alike immediately open fire “neutralizing” the offender even when the terrorist uses a vehicle to commit one of their barbaric acts, we should follow their lead. Hopefully congress will quickly pass and President Trump sign “National Concealed Carry” into law and reduce or totally eliminate “Gun Free Zones” nationwide.

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/751580/Jerusalem-terrorist-reversed-over-bodies-many-times-tour-guide-says

    In the Czech Republic the president has instructed law-abiding firearm-owning citizens to repel the violent Moslem invaders themselves saying “Shoot them yourself” rather than waste precious time calling authorities. The Czech Republic with a proud tradition of civilian gun ownership rejects EU-mandated firearm restrictions and allows it’s citizens to own so-called “military-style” firearms equipped with what Liberals/Progressives/Anti-Gunners call “high capacity” magazines.

    http://www.barenakedislam.com/2017/01/08/czech-president-milos-zeman-tells-citizens-how-to-fight-against-muslim-jihadists-shoot-them-yourselves/

    Israeli military was slow to react for fear of being prosecuted in today’s attack thanks to the conviction of one of their own who was found guilty of “manslaughter” earlier in the week, thankfully citizens stepped up.

    http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2017/01/08/shooter-truck-terrorist-soldiers-hesitated-act-due-elor-azaria-conviction/

    Demand your elected representatives support “National Concealed Carry Reciprocity”.

    http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/08/rep-richard-hudson-americans-pressure-senators-support-national-reciprocity/

  12. There was a lady RIGHT BEHIND HIM!!! If I had been that lady, and laws were as they should be, he might have gotten that second shot off, but the attack would have ended right about then. Yet we look at videos like this, and reach *wildly* irrational conclusions. We *all* need to be armed.

  13. This is murder and and truth is management knew it, handed him of to locals. Locals ran through the check list and to lower overall cost ejected man child ISIS wack onto the public. Then state government saying it knows how to protect citizens established gun free zones at airports and called their work was done. The result is 5 dead people, no one accountable and the blame game begins. Lather rinse, light candles, fake outrage, repeat.

  14. Our society still remains dangerously vulnerable when presented with domestic attack…

    Wake up America. There needs to be a PSA educating the OODA loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act.

  15. better judged by 12 than carried by 6

    keep calm and carry concealed

    “NoGunZones” should simply ignored bei lawfull carriers my point !

  16. Notice those behind him. Disbelief and shock, then confusion as to what to do. Then simply laying down without regard for cover or concealment. It’s as if they believe if they can show the gunman they’re compliant and not a threat, he won’t hurt them.
    If you can’t run (the best option here), hide !
    If you can do neither, fight !
    Someone pointed it out before, but the murderer could have been tackled and dog-piled from behind, HAD they had situational awareness and the conviction to protect themselves and others. Mindset, people !

    • Jeff Cooper talked about the condition awareness color code – white, yellow, orange, red, etc. White meant that you were unaware of the threat, unprepared for a threat, and likely to die unless “your adversary is completely inept.”

      I’d like to propose an additional color code: Powder blue. In the powder blue state of awareness, a person is not only unaware of threats, completely lacking of any combat or reactive mindset, I’ll add the additional qualification that they’re fat, lazy, stupid, in the way and worse than useless. They are prime examples of people who have as their sole reason for existence that of making a bigger job for those in emergencies services.

      • To be blunt, 9/11 was the beginning of a methodical and slow invasion of the US. As more terror attacks happen, I’m still surprised he American public hasn’t caught on.

        It’s a very slow and almost imperceptible battlefront, but there are signs if you know what to look for. Of late, the front line has come more into focus (radical Islam, ISIS) and there is no excuse for complacency.

        What’s frustrating and irresponsible is the media and Obama’s agenda to keep misrepresenting the truth by calling certain attacks hate crimes or some other nonsense. While there are domestic attacks that are unrelated and a few I’m sure are inspired by terrorism but are just headline seekers, the incidents with ISIS ties should not be shrugged off.

        It seems very clear that ISIS and our foreign enemies are capitalizing on the mentally vulnerable and drawing them to their cause.

        It’s only a matter of time before the attacks become more coordinated and deadly.

        Be prepared or be a victim.

  17. He looked to be shooting at a very specific target. He moved with the target as he walked forward. And what fool does a mass shooting with a PPS? Something is a bit fishy.

  18. Why does everybody think laying down on the floor is a safe response to an active shooter? Granted, you are less likely to be hit by a stray shot, but even a newb can hit a stationary target…

    • Simple answer:

      The people in this country are desensitized to violence due to movies and the media. When something real happens their first thought is disbelief followed by analysis paralysis.

      Because they are not trained or prepared to respond appropriately to the situation.

      All we can do is educate and inform. To do anything less in this era of domestic terrorism is the height of irresponsibility.

  19. Was watching FOX news while it went down. Really looked like a stage event, but then again I question everything the MSM and the state does. Which is why I wasn’t surprised when they said Trump would lose and then he won in a landslide. He may just be a crazy Jihadist though. He said the CIA made him watch ISIS videos over and over and was put into a mental hospital in Alaska a report said yesterday.

  20. I believe it is time America opened It’s eyes now that Obama is leaving office. We have a serious mental health problem in our country. It is time to stop putting people who are considered mentally unfit on welfare or SSI and telling them to go about their daily lives. Cull the welfare roles of the lazy or generational recipients and put that money towards reopening mental health centers for the people who desperately need them. I am not saying to disband welfare because there are people who genuinely need a hand to get back on their feet, but it should never have become a lifestyle. We can no longer ignore the mentally ill on our society. But for terrorist scum like this, the solution is immediate execution.

  21. I can’t eve comprehend why the FBI let him leave their offices- let alone get on a plane- when he told them he was hearing voices that told him to join ISIS. How does this happen?

    • I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:

      Lots of people who go into law enforcement, especially at the federal level, aren’t that bright, and they’re looking for a secure job with plush benefits. As long as you keep your head down, do the “yes ma’am, no ma’am, three bags full ma’am,” to your affirmative-action supervisor, you can make a pretty nice career out of it. Accountability is nearly non-existent in the federal bureaucracy, so non-results like this case will usually mean nothing on someone’s record. They’ll still have a job tomorrow, and they’ll still get their paycheck and bennies.

      Congress should re-discover that section in the Constitution about letters of marque and reprisal, withdraw from the stupid treaty that overrode that clause, and start hiring private contractors to deal with the problem of terrorists infiltrating our borders. It’s abundantly clear that federal law enforcement isn’t going to do squat about the issue.

  22. How many gun laws was this guy violating the instant he opened fire?

    So, the solution is more laws. Yeah, that’s it. That’ll stop him.

  23. /Meta – Anybody got words or a quote on this?

    I’m groping around on a sound bite on the “deadlier” weapons tangle. The notion is they want to take away features that make weapons easier to handle, more convenient … like the folding thing that goes up … because in BG’s hands these make the weapons more effective, thus the carnage worse. Yet, in GG’s hands a more capable, thus more deadly weapon *reduces* carnage … by better stopping the BG.

    Something like this:

    “More effective weapons: bad if it’s BGs shooting up innocents, good if it’s GGs stopping active shooters (or assault trucks.)”

    I’m crafting on this to try to drag in the whole tangle of worms. Laws restrict the lawful, the unlawful not so much. Weapons *properly used* the more effective the better. So, no guns for anybody, means everybody is a psycho killer? Why do the anti’s assume their fellow citizens to be so incompetent (as well as deranged?)

    Anybody got anything on this?

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