Fort Lauderdale

Airport Shooting

By: Sara Henne

 Summary of the Attack
At around 12:55 pm on January 6, 2017, a shooter opened fire
near terminal 2 of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
International Airport. Aiming at people's heads and bodies
without saying anything, Esteban Santiago- Ruizs attack
lasted about 60 to 70 seconds, only stopping after running out
of ammunition. Using a Walther PPS 9mm semi-automatic
pistol, the attacker killed 5 people and injured 8 more.
Additionally, approximately 36 others received injuries not
gunshot related. Santiago was arrested without incident and
taken into federal custody shortly after.
Why was the Suspect at the
Airport?
On January 6th, Santiago flew from Anchorage to
Minneapolis to Fort Lauderdale with no known reason to be
there. Authorities say that Santiago only had one bag which
he checked with his handgun and case. After landing at the
Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood International Airport and picking
up his luggage in terminal two, Santiago went into the
bathroom to load his gun. He then shot anybody that he saw
while walking out of the bathroom until running out of
ammunition.
How did Santiago get a Gun
inside the Airport?
It is legal to bring a gun on a plane as long as it is inside a hard,
locked case, and the bag that contains it is checked. The gun
must be unloaded, although people may fill out a declaration
form to also bring ammunition. By Florida law however,
firearms are prohibited inside the terminal of the airport and
they must stay in their locked case at all times. Furthermore,
authorities say that it is not uncommon to have firearms
checked at Anchorage since Alaska is widely known for its
hunting.
Who Committed the Crime?
Esteban Santiago- Ruiz, 26, grew up in Puerto Rico, and in
2007, joined the Puerto Rico National Guard where served in
the Iraq War for two years. He later served in the Alaska
Army National Guard from 2014 to 2016 until being
discharged in August 2016 due to unsatisfactory
performance. In November 2016, Santiago visited the FBI
office in Anchorage and told agents he was hearing voices
and being directed by a US intelligence agency to watch ISIS
videos (Shoichet). His family claims that after serving in Iraq,
he had changed and had frequent visions, and they eventually
lost contact with him.
Motivation for the Attack
The motivation for the Fort Lauderdale Airport Attack is not
completely known, however, Esteban Santiago- Ruizs
frequent visions and voices could have triggered the desire to
attack. His voices were telling him that the U.S. government
was controlling him and making him watch videos of ISIS. He
claims that the voices were also urging him to complete acts
of violence and terror, but he would not hurt anyone. He went
to the police and informed them of this, which lead to a mental
health examination and the removal of his hand gun, but he
was eventually given the gun back because they saw no
danger and was not convinced of a serious crime.
Results of the Attack
Since the attack at the Fort Lauderdale attacks, security
regarding firearms has been heightened. Delta Airlines
changed its policy from being able to pick up a checked
firearm at the carousel to now having to pick it up at a
baggage service office. Other airlines are discussing this issue
such as United and JetBlue, but only Delta has made this
change so far. After this attack, however, no federal policies
have been put in effect regarding the transportation of
firearms. The TSA is discussing how to tighten security
without affecting the rights of the second amendment.
Response to the Attack
This attack at Fort Lauderdale Airport caused panic across the
country. Americans did not know if this would be a series of
attacks or if it would just occur at one airport. Popular
airports around the United States heightened their security
and were on high alert to keep their travelers safe. Also, later
in the day, people in the Fort Lauderdale Airport were
frightened when they thought they hear more gunshots ring.
Fortunately, these shots were not confirmed, but this
accusation proves how panicked Americans were. Overall,
this attack caused widespread fear about airports all across
the country
Works Cited
Berman, Mark, William Wan, and Sari Horwitz. "Five Killed in Fort
Lauderdale Airport Shooting, Suspect in Custody." The Washington Post. WP
Company, 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

O'Matz, Megan. "Delta Revises Procedure to Retrieve Guns from

Checked Luggage." Sun-Sentinel.com. N.p., 26 Apr. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Shoichet, Catherine E. "Fort Lauderdale Airport: 5 Dead, Shooting

Suspect Had Gun in Checked Bag." CNN. Cable News Network, 07 Jan. 2017.
Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

"2017 Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting." Wikipedia. Wikimedia

Foundation, 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.