The shooting rampage at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — which left five people dead — has shaken America. In the midst of this nightmare unfolding for unsuspecting travelers, there was an unsung hero — the MacBook Pro.
For the unfamiliar, on Friday, Jan. 6, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago pulled out a gun from his checked-in luggage and suddenly opened fire on innocent people who were collecting their luggage from Fort Lauderdale airport's baggage claim area. Santiago — who was later arrested — wounded eight people and killed five.
However, even as this terrifying incident unfolded, a 37-year-old man managed to miraculously escape by the skin of his teeth all thanks to his Apple laptop. Steve Frappier was one of the many unsuspecting travelers who had a narrow escape as his MacBook Pro shielded him from a bullet.
Steve was traveling to Atlanta to attend an educational conference. He was carrying his school-issued laptop in his backpack for his conference work, unaware of how the device would be a lifesaver for him during this journey.
MacBook Pro The Hero
The horrifying incident has left a deep impact on Frappier and he recounted how passengers were caught unaware when the firing began. Reports have shared that nearly 13 people were shot before they could get out of the baggage counter.
Frappier, who miraculously survived the ordeal, revealed to CNN that he was wearing the backpack, which contained the laptop and some other stuff.
"I was wearing a backpack on both shoulders, and when we went to the floor, I dropped and the backpack was still on my back," shared Frappier.
As the bullets had started flying in the air, he too became an unwanted target. However, Frappier could take respite in the fact that the bullet missed its mark. The gunman had set his shoulders as the target but missed it.
Frappier could feel something hit his back but did not know at the time what had transpired. When the firing was over, he sneaked over to the men's rest room and removed the backpack. To his surprise, Frappier found a 9mm bullet lodged into his laptop bag.
"Later when I gave my backpack over to the FBI for investigation they found the bullet in the pocket of my backpack," he shared, adding that "the backpack saved my life."
Investigators believe that the bullet probably passed through a slight opening, hitting the MacBook Pro's display first and then made its way through the aluminium chassis and battery of the Apple laptop. It finally exited via the device's side intake vents.
Frappier credits the MacBook Pro for giving him a new lease of life.
