'I Didn't Want To Let Her Go': Minn. Woman Reunited With Family After FLL Shooting

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota woman is with her family after running for safety at the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood Airport during Friday's shooting.

"We were just panicked and so stressed out thinking, 'What is her -- how is [Alexis] handling this whole thing?'" Jennifer (JJ) Ries, originally from Edina, said.

Sisters JJ and Alexis Reis were finishing up a family vacation in Florida. Twenty-eight-year-old Alexis, from Edina, was waiting to board her Delta flight back to Minneapolis when the shooting started.

JJ told WCCO Alexis has a learning disability but is high functioning, and she was traveling alone for the second time in her life. Alexis was waiting to board her plane back to Minneapolis shortly before 1 p.m. Friday when passengers inside the terminal started running and yelling "run" and "get out."

Alexis and other people nearby then ran out of the emergency exit doors onto the tarmac. She FaceTimed her family on her cell phone, explaining what was going on.

"It hadn't even come on the news yet," JJ said. "She's FaceTiming us from the tarmac, panicked."

Alexis' family told her to find help. She found a couple from Alaska who stayed with her for hours.

When there was a report of a possible second shooter, Alexis lost her cell phone and contact with her family.

Eventually Alexis and the couple made it to a nearby diner where she was able to call her family and reunite with them.

"She saw me and she ran up and I hugged her and I didn't want to let her go," JJ said.

Alexis will be taking a flight back to Minneapolis on Tuesday.