There is no Canadian connection to the airport shooting in Florida, the Canadian embassy in Washington has confirmed.

A statement from a Florida official Friday afternoon said that the shooter had travelled to Fort Lauderdale on an Air Canada flight. Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said the man then picked up his luggage, went to the bathroom to load the gun and then came out firing in the baggage claim department.

Five people were killed and eight people were sent to hospital when the gunman opened fire just before 1 p.m. in Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport.

The embassy said there is no information to suggest the suspect travelled through Canada.

“The suspect did not fly from Canada and was not on a Canadian flight. We understand from officials he was on a flight originating in Anchorage, transiting through Minneapolis and landing in Ft. Lauderdale. There is no Canadian connection,” a statement from the embassy said.

Air Canada also confirmed they did not carry any passengers with a checked gun to Florida.

Meanwhile Canadian government officials were trying to determine whether any Canadians were among the casualties of a mass shooting Friday in the baggage area of the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The office of Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said it had no immediate information about Canadian citizens being among the dead or injured.

Air Canada and WestJet had said all their passengers and employees at the Fort Lauderdale airport were accounted for and safe.

Under Canadian air safety rules, passengers can only pack firearms in their checked baggage provided the weapons are unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided container. Passengers must also declare the firearms at check-in.

U.S. authorities said a man identified as Esteban Santiago was arrested after the shooting inside Terminal 2, which serves Air Canada and Delta. The rampage sparked pandemonium and shut down the airport.

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email that passengers on the airline's departing flights were safely evacuated on the tarmac. Those on flights arriving from Montreal and Toronto were being held off gate while the terminal remained closed.

Air Canada implemented a rebooking policy for passengers travelling to and from Fort Lauderdale on Friday and Saturday, Fitzpatrick said.