Apple MacBook Pro saves man from bullet in Florida airport shooting

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2017
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.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,239member
    Lucky guy.

    My heart breaks that today was the last day that those 5 others got to enjoy. :'( 
    Solipeterhartneo-techpulseimageslenajahbladefreshmakermuppetrydoozydozensuddenly newton
  • Reply 2 of 45
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    Mythbusters did an episode where they took direct aim at a laptop and the bullet was stopped by the battery but I believe it was an older PC laptop that had a thicker compartment. This shot seems to have been a glancing shot that went clean through and would have missed him anyway. Either way, I'm glad he wasn't injured.

    An observation: My MBP's disk drive is on the bottom left with the battery from the left-center to the right side so it looks like the disk drive took the majority of the impact, not the battery. It also looks like it entered towards the left top of the MBP, going through all his ports, then hard drive before exiting. It doesn't appear it would have even touched the battery. I'd like to know where he works since that bar-coded label on the back isn't from Apple.
  • Reply 3 of 45
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    Lucky guy.

    My heart breaks that today was the last day that those 5 others got to enjoy. :'( 
    I say unlucky guy.   Now he'll probably be forced to buy on of the newer MacBookPros.   Don't expect that thinner lighter laptop to stop all the bullets as the old could.   lol.
    baconstangSpamSandwichdysamoriaryan2012tallest skil
  • Reply 4 of 45
    Condolence to the victims.

    And they said plastic laptop is good. 
    admiral.ashik
  • Reply 5 of 45
    mf2kmf2k Posts: 11member
    Apple should give this guy a brand new MacBook Pro with all of the upgrades. 
    jasenj1macseekerzroger73pulseimagesryan2012rezwitstallest skildoozydozenadmiral.ashikMetriacanthosaurus
  • Reply 6 of 45
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member
    Apple should send this guy a free replacement.   Good publicity.  

    Didn't Apple once make a case (for a tower, I think, maybe the G3 or G4) that they claimed would stop a bullet?

    I don't know if we've heard a motive yet, other than this guy might be angry that he was thrown out of the military, but there are far too many crazy people with guns running around.   And also too many crazy people without guns who like to do things like push people onto the NYC subway tracks.  
  • Reply 7 of 45
    rob53 said:

    An observation: My MBP's disk drive is on the bottom left with the battery from the left-center to the right side so it looks like the disk drive took the majority of the impact, not the battery. It also looks like it entered towards the left top of the MBP, going through all his ports, then hard drive before exiting. It doesn't appear it would have even touched the battery. I'd like to know where he works since that bar-coded label on the back isn't from Apple.
    The rMBP eschewed disc drives -- replaced by battery cells -- long before the side "gills" were introduced in mid-2012. Considering the two Thunderbolt ports, lack of SD card reader and what looks to be dual mics, this is probably a 2014-2015 model. That means the bullet met aluminum, battery and probably a speaker.
    edited January 2017 VisualSeed2dysamoriapscooter63retrogustodoozydozen
  • Reply 8 of 45
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    k2kw said:
    Lucky guy.

    My heart breaks that today was the last day that those 5 others got to enjoy. :'( 
    I say unlucky guy.   Now he'll probably be forced to buy on of the newer MacBookPros.   Don't expect that thinner lighter laptop to stop all the bullets as the old could.   lol.
    1) He can still buy a 2015 model.

    2) To calculate statistical odds we would need to test multiple MBPs with multiple firearms, munitions, and angles to know what can and can't be done. For example, while the 2016 15" MBPs do have smaller batteries—76Whrs v 95Whrs over the 2015 model, if memory serves—the logic board in the 2016 models is smaller so the battery is using more of the area (read: footprint) of the MBP than it did previously. Does this increase the changes of the battery being stopped by the battery or does the thinner battery make a difference for typical munitions that would likely be used (i.e.: non-armor piercing bullets), or is the thinner battery still sufficiently thick enough? Is the battery chemistry denser thus allowing for more storage? How about the stacked layers of battery cells that we first saw In the 2015 MacBook to help maximize the internal space? Then we other, potentially denser elements in these new MBPs that could have better stopping power. For example, does the new display and backlight help? How about the extra structural support from not having a cutout for a plastic, glowing logo? Does the thinner laptop that still maintains the same basic footprint mean that the aluminium casing is thicker to increase its rigidity and/or is a stronger aluminum being used, like what Apple did after BendGate with the iPhone? There are simply too many unknowns that would require testing. We don't even know if the bullet would've been life threatening if hadn't hit the MBP, but the articles are saying that it saved his life. Clickbait at its best, but what else would we expect in today's world.
  • Reply 9 of 45
    dr. xdr. x Posts: 282member
    First, my heart goes out to all the victims of this attack. It breaks my heart that mass shootings like this happen. Second, This is not the first time an Apple product has saved someones life. In 2007, I'm reminded of an iPod saving a soldiers life in Iraq. I'm sure there are more cases but it's interesting. https://www.engadget.com/2007/04/05/ipod-takes-bullet-for-soldier/
    pscooter63
  • Reply 10 of 45
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member
    I'm guessing it's not covered by AppleCare.

    RIP for the victims and speedy recovery for the injured. 
    doozydozen
  • Reply 11 of 45
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    nht said:
    I'm guessing it's not covered by AppleCare.

    RIP for the victims and speedy recovery for the injured. 
    Apple needs another insurance program called AppleCarnage.
  • Reply 12 of 45
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member

    dr. x said:
    First, my heart goes out to all the victims of this attack. It breaks my heart that mass shootings like this happen. Second, This is not the first time an Apple product has saved someones life. In 2007, I'm reminded of an iPod saving a soldiers life in Iraq. I'm sure there are more cases but it's interesting. https://www.engadget.com/2007/04/05/ipod-takes-bullet-for-soldier/
    Don't forget the iPhone 6S during the recent shootings in Turkey.

    PS: It's weird that you never hear about this from other CE vendors. Maybe I just miss it or maybe it's because of the aluminum casings, over the batteries.


    edit: Oops, that Turkey article is from almost a year ago. I can't find the one from just a couple weeks ago.

    edit2: Here's a list of other phones that have stopped bullets:


    edit3: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/istanbul-attack-nightclub-reina-turkey-bullet-hit-mobile-phone-lives-latest-a7505916.html
    edited January 2017
  • Reply 13 of 45
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    k2kw said:
    Lucky guy.

    My heart breaks that today was the last day that those 5 others got to enjoy. :'( 
    I say unlucky guy.   Now he'll probably be forced to buy on of the newer MacBookPros.   Don't expect that thinner lighter laptop to stop all the bullets as the old could.   lol.
    First off, it's pretty rude to inject your opinion in an attempt to be funny during a situation where people died and were injured. It's tonedeaf to LOL at the Jain and suffering of others.. Second, have you used the new MacBook Pro? It's built like a tank despite being thinner. I'm not a ballistics expert but I'm pretty sure it would stop a bullet.
    chiaSpamSandwichpscooter63designrnetmageMacPromacxpressNameo_StrangeDayssuddenly newton
  • Reply 14 of 45
    The headline should read "Heroic Apple MacBook Pro saves man from bullet in Florida airport shooting."
    edited January 2017
  • Reply 15 of 45
    Soli said:
    nht said:
    I'm guessing it's not covered by AppleCare.

    RIP for the victims and speedy recovery for the injured. 
    Apple needs another insurance program called AppleCarnage.
    I think he should make a Genius Bar appointment. Bring it with a few of the national articles with his name in them. 
    pulseimagesjahblade
  • Reply 16 of 45
    I would trade just about anything I own to stop a bullet from hitting me, including my brand new MBP___lucky guy, terrible that some weren't so fortunate. In lighthearted news, had he had a note 7 he would have been able to hurl it like a grenade at the guy. Also, terrible state we leave the men and women in that defend our freedom, Including my right to be a dimwit on multiple mac related forums.
    chris_caretrogusto
  • Reply 17 of 45
    pscooter63pscooter63 Posts: 1,080member
    Disembarking is how you leave a transport vessel.

    Debarking is a canine veterinary procedure.
    SpamSandwichStrangeDays
  • Reply 18 of 45
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    k2kw said:
    Lucky guy.

    My heart breaks that today was the last day that those 5 others got to enjoy. :'( 
    I say unlucky guy.   Now he'll probably be forced to buy on of the newer MacBookPros.   Don't expect that thinner lighter laptop to stop all the bullets as the old could.   lol.
    Don't know why your ass can joke while people died out there!
    pulseimagesdesignrNameo_
  • Reply 19 of 45
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    fallenjt said:
    k2kw said:
    Lucky guy.

    My heart breaks that today was the last day that those 5 others got to enjoy. :'( 
    I say unlucky guy.   Now he'll probably be forced to buy on of the newer MacBookPros.   Don't expect that thinner lighter laptop to stop all the bullets as the old could.   lol.
    Don't know why your ass can joke while people died out there!
    The people who died weren't the subject of the joke. The timing is tasteless but the joke isn't targeting victims. It wasn't a dead astronaut joke. 
    pulseimagesentropys
  • Reply 20 of 45
    fallenjt said:
    k2kw said:
    Lucky guy.

    My heart breaks that today was the last day that those 5 others got to enjoy.  
    I say unlucky guy.   Now he'll probably be forced to buy on of the newer MacBookPros.   Don't expect that thinner lighter laptop to stop all the bullets as the old could.   lol.
    Don't know why your ass can joke while people died out there!
    Unfortunately the MacBook Pro was only used defensively.  Maybe the new thinner models are sharper and could have been used offensively to take out the shooter?  Just need a catchy one liner to go with it:

    "Welcome to Mac OS, asshole."
    *Pow!*

    "Introducing Touch ID, you piece of shit."
    *Smack!*

    "Hey Siri, eliminate this scumbag."
    *Crack!*
    edited January 2017 pulseimagesSpamSandwich
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