Fort Lauderdale airport shooting comes amid Florida debate about allowing open carry in airports

Floridian lawmakers are divided on the issue of gun control.

(Image credit: TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

published 6 January 2017

A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area of the Fort Lauderdale airport in south Florida on Friday afternoon, killing five and injuring at least a dozen others. His gun, officials say, had been stored in his checked baggage, and he loaded it in the bathroom after claiming his bag before turning on the crowd.

The incident is likely to complicate the debate around new legislation in the state that would repeal "laws forbidding guns on college campuses, in airport terminals, and at government meetings," the Tallahassee Democrat writes.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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