This man killed five at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in US

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway.

Fort Lauderdale: A gunman opened fire on Friday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport, killing five people and injuring eight.

The suspect is thought to be an Iraq war veteran.

According to authorities, the man took a gun out of his checked luggage and opened fire in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale`s airport. He was later taken into custody.

The shooting rampage sent panicked travelers running for cover inside the terminal and onto the tarmac.

The gunman was identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, who was carrying US military identification, according to a spokesman for US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, citing officials at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

There was no immediate indication of a motive for the assault.

ABC News said that the gunman had traveled from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale, with a stopover in Minnesota. According to CBS, he engaged in an argument on one leg of the trip.

An aunt said he came back from his deployment "a different person", MSNBC reported.

In November, Santiago told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that his mind was being controlled and agents sent him to a mental hospital, said a federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon.

A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year.

The shooter arrived on a flight to Fort Lauderdale with a checked gun in his bag, and upon claiming the luggage went to the bathroom to load the gun, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter. He came out firing, LaMarca said, and witnesses told MSNBC television he only stopped after running out of ammunition, at which point he surrendered to police.

Cellphone video posted on social media showed travelers kneeling and treating victims on the floor next to a carousel. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds.

Flying with firearms is routine and legal in the United States as long as the guns are kept in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only, under TSA rules. Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on bags but is allowed in checked luggage.

The suspect was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at the airport, adding it was too early to assign a motive.

"At this point, it looks like he acted alone," Israel said while police continued to search the airport.

The gunman, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. He appeared to use a 9 mm handgun, which he tossed aside once it was empty, MSNBC reported.

"This is a senseless act of evil," Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters.

A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama had spoken to Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief and had extended his condolences to the loved ones of the victims. 

(With Agency inputs)