FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – For many flight passengers arriving Friday in Fort Lauderdale, it was supposed to be the start of an idyllic week cruising the Caribbean. Then, the deadly shooting in baggage claim happened. Cruises have gone forward – but not without delays, arrangements for traumatized travelers and some dampening of the usual atmosphere.
Holland America Cruise line operates many of the massive ships that typically set out around the weekend from the tourism hub’s Port Everglades terminal. The company offered free counseling via a hotline run by emergency management company Empathia on at least two of its ships – one that departed Friday night and another that left Saturday, company spokeswoman Sally Andrews said.
“The staff are being very attentive to how folks are feeling on board,” Andrews said.
The shooter retrieved his luggage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s Terminal 2 in the early afternoon with a legally checked, unloaded pistol and ammunition, went to a bathroom to load up, then came out and started firing.
The rampage killed five people, wounded six and touched off chaos that prompted police to lock down the airport until evening, causing delays and separating many people from their belongings.