BEVERLY HILLS, January 06, (THEWILL) – An Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight.
According to witnesses, he was taken into custody unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers, after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground and was being questioned by the FBI
“People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs,” a witness said.
“He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it.”
The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance.
His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently.
A law enforcement official revealed that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the U.S. government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos.
Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said Santiago did not appear intent on hurting anyone.
Authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation. Shortly after the shooting, and before details of Santiago’s mental health became public, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said that it remained to be seen whether it was terrorism or the work of someone who is mentally deranged.
One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travellers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand.
Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen.
According to Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport, Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage — his gun.
At Fort Lauderdale, after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. He dispensed about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said.
The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. At least one of the victims was seen lying in a pool of blood with what appeared to be a head wound.
The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground.
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