Steve Frappier, a witness to Friday's deadly shooting at a Fort Lauderdale airport, revealed in an interview with CNN that an Apple MacBook Pro in his backpack took a stray bullet during the harrowing scene, likely saving his life.
On Friday, a gunman identified by authorities as Alaska native Esteban Santiago, 26, pulled a weapon out of his checked bag and opened fire on unsuspecting travelers picking up their luggage at a baggage claim in Fort Lauderdale's airport. The assailant killed five people and wounded eight.
Describing the grisly scene to CNN's Anderson Cooper, Frappier said he, too, was shot in the back while taking cover on the ground. Luckily, he was lying prone, his backpack making an impromptu "tortoise-like" shell. Inside the pack was a MacBook Pro and other miscellaneous items.
As seen in the image above, the bullet from Santiago's gun traveled through an opening in the backpack and apparently hit the laptop's display, continuing through the aluminum unibody chassis, battery and other circuitry before exiting near the side intake vents.
The bullet ultimately came to rest in the backpack's front pocket.
Frappier said he hastily stowed the MacBook Pro before debarking, leaving the backpack flap slightly ajar. Upon inspecting the bag and laptop, law enforcement agents determined the bullet likely passed through the small opening, meaning it was not deflected before coming into contact with the Apple hardware.
It is not yet clear what type of pistol was used in the attack.
According to subsequent reports, Santiago enlisted in the Army National Guard in Puerto Rico in 2007. He served in Iraq for ten months in 2010 and later transferred to the National Guard in Alaska in 2014, where he was stationed as a combat engineer. Santiago was discharged in 2016 for unsatisfactory performance.