Staff Writer
Just before 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, a shooter opened fire in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport killing five people and injuring six others. The shooter was identified as a Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old army veteran. Santiago spoke with officials from the FBI and the local sheriff's office about the shooting; however, the only thing gained from the conversation was that it was a planned attack but gave no indication of a clear motive.
Santiago is known for his dangerous, erratic behavior in his Alaskan town. Within the past year he has had at least five confrontations with local officials and was arrested on two occasions . Santiago’s erratic behavior escalated in November of 2016 when it was reported that he walked into the local FBI field office to complain to the special agent in charge, Marlin Ritzman, to tell him that “his mind was being controlled by U.S. intelligence agents.”
Just before 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, Santiago is captured on surveillance cameras walking through the baggage claim area, pulling out a handgun from his waistband and firing upon nearby passengers. Santiago was arrested without incident and taken to the nearby jail for questioning. It was there where he was charged with an act of violence at an international airport that resulted in death and two firearm offenses. If convicted of all of these charges, he could face the death penalty.
