Ari Fleischer Says He Could’ve Been a Fort Lauderdale Victim if Not For a Last-Minute ‘Pit Stop’
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was inside Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday when a gunman opened fire — killing five people and injuring eight others. And according to Fleischer, were it not for an impromptu “pit stop,” he could’ve been a victim of the attack.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Fleischer said that he was en route to the baggage claim area where the shooting took place before deciding to make a last-minute detour.
“I had just stepped off my flight from New York and was going to head down the escalator to the baggage claim, but had to make a pit stop,” Fleischer said. “Thank God I had to make a pit stop.”
Fleischer reports that he was in the men’s room when he heard a “pop-pop-pop, pop-pop-pop” sound, at which point he decided to flee.
The former White House Press Secretary was in Fort Lauderdale as a stopover of sorts before heading to Tampa for Monday night’s college football National Championship game.
Fleischer’s tweeted from the scene at 12:57 p.m. ET — which was among the first public alerts to the shooting.
I’m at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 6, 2017
The police said there is one shooter and five victims.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 6, 2017
All seems calm now but the police aren’t letting anyone out of the airport – at least not the area where I am.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 6, 2017
Follow our continuing coverage of the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooting here.
[image via screengrab]
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