Police in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have identified 26-year-old Esteban Santiago as the suspect who was taken into custody following a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport earlier in the day Friday.
Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico at the age of two. The Pentagon says Santiago is a U.S. veteran who served in Iraq with the Army National Guard from April 2010 to February 2011. The private first class had enlisted in December 2007 with the Puerto Rico National Guard. From 2008 to 2010, he was based at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Fort Dix in New Jersey.
Following his 10-month stint in Iraq, he returned to the Puerto Rico National Guard and later went on inactive ready reserve. In 2014, he joined the Alaska National Guard. A Pentagon spokesman said that Santiago received a general discharge in August 2016 for “continuous and willful absence” from his duties, according to Military.com.
The combat engineer received a number of awards for his service, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Military Device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.
The FBI in a press conference confirmed that Esteban had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska, where he had boarded the plane that took him to Fort Lauderdale.
He appears to have suffered from PTSD following his return from Iraq. He voluntarily walked into the Anchorage FBI field office in November and talked to agents about the Islamic State and his general mental state. They took him for psychiatric treatment.
In January 2016, Santiago was charged with two misdemeanors related to a domestic violence incident in Anchorage. The case was ultimately resolved after Santiago entered a deferred prosecution agreement.
Five people were killed and at least 8 injured after Santiago opened fire in the baggage claim area of the airport on Friday. The suspect is believed to have taken his gun and bullets into a nearby bathroom after picking them up off the luggage carousel and assembling them before shooting travelers in the baggage area.
Santiago’s girlfriend and child are back in Anchorage.
NEW: In Nov. 2016, FLL suspect walked into FBI office in Anchorage, claiming he was being forced to fight for ISIS, sources tell CBS News.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 6, 2017
