Student sends mom 'goodbye' text during airport shooting

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida student sent a heartbreaking text to his mother during Friday's shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that left 5 dead.

The student named Jordan, was part of a group from St. Andrew's School in Boca Raton that was preparing to travel to Fiji.

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The students were aboard their flight to Los Angeles when the shooting took place. Through the airplane windows, they saw people running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac.

After spending time on the plane, the students and the rest of the passengers on the Los Angeles flight were also let out off the plane to wait outside terminal 2.

When Jordan had to go to the bathroom, he heard what he thought were gunshots and saw people running towards him.

Jordan called his mother while he and his friends hid behind a barricade.

Jordan told his mother, who had just dropped him off at the airport and thought he was joking, that he loved her.

When the phone call ended, Jordan texted his mother the following message:

"I love u so much. If anything happens, tell Avery and Cameron that I love them along with everyone else. I love u all so much."

After they were given the all-clear, the student group was able to walk to the perimeter of the airport where the Jordan and his mother were reunited.

"It was just tough," Jordan's mother told Local 10 after they were reunited.

No word on whether the St. Andrew's group has rescheduled their trip.


About the Author:

Andrew Perez is a South Florida native who joined the Local 10 News team in May 2014.