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The Fort Lauderdale Airport Will Remain Closed

On Friday afternoon a shooter opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, reportedly killing five people and injuring an additional eight. While the loss of life, supporting those injured, and providing additional support for the families of those killed is the most important, another concern is the travel implications. Many people are asking themselves, "When will the Fort Lauderdale Airport reopen?" and the answer, for now, is unclear.

An estimated 73,000 travelers pass through the airport each day, so delays will cause a significant dent in travel plans across the country. In an age when, sadly, mass shooting have become nothing if not routine (there have been six mass shootings in 2017, alone), fatal shootings in airports are relatively unheard of thanks to the tight security. As a result, it's somewhat unclear as to when the airport can re-open with business as usual. However, in Nov 2016 a disgruntled former employee opened fire at the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, killing a current employee of Southwest Airlines. In that previous shooting, the Will Rogers World Airport was shutdown completely for more than four hours; without a single plane landing or taking off during that period of time. Perhaps that equally heartbreaking incident could give would-be travelers an idea of when future flights will be able to take off and land.

At the time the scene is still being treated as an active shooter situation, with the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reporting they would be sending agents to the scene to assist state and local authorities. The suspect is currently in custody, while thirteen people were transported to the hospital for care.

As what can only be described as the "normal reaction" to what has established itself as a mass shooting epidemic in the United States, politicians and other noteworthy individuals took to twitter to voice their "thoughts and prayers" for all those involved in the deadly incident. Here are just a few of what's sure to be a list of the Twitter responses to the shooting:

While more information is being reported regarding the shooter, the victims, and the wounded, once again our collective attention will shift on the never-ending conversation surrounding gun violence in this country. Perhaps 2017 will provide this country with a solution, otherwise the idea of an airport being an unusual place for a deadly shooting will fall by the wayside.