Fifth person killed in Fort Lauderdale airport shooting is identified by authorities
Broward County officials finally released the names of the five people who died in Friday’s mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, including one woman who had previously not been reported by media.
Until Wednesday, four of the five families of those killed spoke to media outlets about their loved ones, but Broward officials refused to confirm their identities.
Mary Louise Amzibel, 69, is the last of the five people who were shot and killed who has been identified. She and her husband, Ed, were natives of Ashtabula, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border, but they haven’t lived there for many years, according to the Star Beacon. Her husband was wounded during the shooting and remains in a coma, according to the newspaper.
They were in Fort Lauderdale to take a Panama Canal cruise. Public records indicate the couple had been living in Dover, Delaware.
Broward County also confirmed the names of the other four people who died in the shooting. Alaskan resident Esteban Santiago. a New Jersey native who was raised in Puerto Rico, has been charged in the shootings.
The other four people who died are:
▪ Shirley Wells Timmons, 70, from Ohio, who with her husband, Steve, was on their way to a family cruise leaving for Port Everglades.
▪ Michael John Oehme, 57, from Council Bluffs, Iowa, who with his wife, Kari, flew to Fort Lauderdale from Omaha, Nebraska, for their annual cruise.
▪ Olga M. Woltering, 84, from Marietta, Georgia, who with her husband, Ralph, flew into Fort Lauderdale for a cruise with their children, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
▪ Terry Michael Andres, 62, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, who had just arrived in Fort Lauderdale to take a cruise with his wife.
Six people were hospitalized after the shooting. Three have been released from Broward Health Medical Center. The other three remain hospitalized: One is in critical condition, another is in serious condition, and the third is in good condition. Two of the three remaining in the hospital have gunshot wounds.
“It was Broward County’s intent to officially release the names of all the victims at the appropriate time, with respect for the family’s wishes and in accordance with state and federal laws. However, the media’s persistence in demanding the names has hastened the release of this limited information as required by law,” said Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief.
This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Fifth person killed in Fort Lauderdale airport shooting is identified by authorities."