The man who carried out the deadly mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in January 2017 was sentenced Friday to five life terms in prison plus an additional 120 years.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered Esteban Santiago-Ruiz to spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing five people and wounding six others when he opened fire at the baggage claim area of the South Florida airport Jan. 6, 2017.
“While nothing can ever heal the wounds inflicted by the defendant’s unspeakable and horrific acts of violence, we hope that the life sentence imposed today provides at least some sense of justice for the victims and their loved ones,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Benjamin G. Greenberg said in a statement.
Santiago pled guilty in May to five counts of committing acts of violence at an international airport causing death and six counts of committing acts of violence at an international airport causing serious bodily injury.
Shortly before 1 p.m. ET on the day of the attack, Santiago, using a handgun, began shooting at arriving passengers who had been picking up their luggage in the Terminal 2 baggage claim.
He shot at people’s heads and bodies, and he did not stop shooting until he ran out of ammunition, according to court documents. He was taken down by a Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
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