Sprawling airports difficult to defend from armed attack
The deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale’s airport serves as a stark reminder of the challenges of providing security outside checkpoints at sprawling airports. Transportation Security Administration officers scrutinize passengers before they board planes, but those officers are unarmed and located inside the airport beyond airline check-in desks. Armed local police routinely patrol public areas of airports, but sparsely compared to TSA staffing. Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security, has moved to limit airport terminal entrances and have more uniformed patrols of public areas in airports, such as arrivals and baggage claim. But the lack of security at terminal doors is a vulnerability that officials have long acknowledged, but that is difficult to remedy because of the prohibitive cost of staffing every entrance. Evidence of the challenge came in the June bombing of Istanbul’s airport, when three men detonated explosives on luggage carts as two approached a security checkpoint, while a third remained outside. The attack, which killed 45 people, was linked to the Islamic State. Security experts said the death toll could have been higher if the airport hadn't posted armed guards at the terminal doors. That move came after March bombings at Brussels airport and a nearby subway station killed 32 people. In November 2013 at Los Angeles airport, a gunman killed a TSA officer and wounded several passengers.
Family photo of Esteban Santiago, 26, the alleged gunman who killed at least five people at a Florida airport on Friday, January 6, 2017. Family photo/Handout photo via NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY NETWORK The suspect in Friday’s shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had served in the military, and his brother told NBC News that he was “was pro-America.”
A federal law enforcement source tells PEOPLE Esteban Santiago, 26, who allegedly killed five and injured eight at the Florida airport’s Terminal 2, had a military ID on him when he was taken into police custody.
Details emerge of suspect in Fort Lauderdale airport shootings
A shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday left five dead and eight wounded, as the airport descended into chaos, with passengers taking shelter, flights diverted and unsubstantiated reports of additional gunshots.A suspect identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, was taken into custody without incident. He reportedly retrieved a gun from a checked bag and started shooting. A veteran of service in Iraq, he had been discharged from the Alaska Army National Guard last August for unsatisfactory performance, according to its public affairs office.
According to the official, he was discharged from the Army last year on a general discharge, with a final rank of E-4. (E-4 is Corporal or Specialist.)
According to his brother, Bryan Santiago, the suspect was born in New Jersey, but moved to Puerto Rico at age two, reported the Associated Press.
A spokesperson from the Alaska Army National Guard tells PEOPLE the suspect served in the National Guard in Puerto Rico for several years, and served overseas in Iraq from 2010 to 2011.
The spokesperson says he was in the Army Reserves prior to joining the Alaska Army National Guard in Nov. 2014, in which he served as a combat engineer.
He received a general discharge from the Alaska Army National Guard in Aug. 2016 for unsatisfactory performance.
Airport Reopens After Deadly Shooting Chaos
Fort Lauderdale airport reopened after Friday's deadly shooting but flight delays and cancellations were set to continue.People take cover outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people wear killed and 8 wounded in an attack by a single gunman.
For the last two years, the suspect has lived in Alaska, Bryan told NBC News, where he worked as a security guard.
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His time in Alaska involved a lot of “fighting,” Bryan said, explaining that the suspect was often in conflict with his girlfriend. The woman called the suspect’s family in recent months to inform them that he was seeking psychological treatment.
The suspect is also a father, Bryan said.
“He is a regular person, spiritual, a good person,” he told NBC.
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Passengers wait on the tarmac of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people were killed and eight wounded in an attack from a single gunman.
FBI: Airport gunman traveled to Florida for massacre
The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travelers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida appears to have traveled there specifically to carry out the attack, authorities said Saturday.Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the cooperative suspect, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed.
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People take cover outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people wear killed and 8 wounded in an attack by a single gunman.
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Law enforcement officers stand guard at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
‘There was a trail of blood’: Ari Fleischer was nearly caught in the Fort Lauderdale shooting
The former White House spokesman had to use the restroom. Nature's call may have saved his life. “Just as I was leaving the bathroom, I heard tap-tap-tap, tap-tap, tap. Multiple gunshots ringing out,” he told The Washington Post. “And there was a small group of guys, we all stopped at the opening leading out to the area right above the escalator. We all realized it was gunfire and it was coming from the level below us at the escalator.”“…I would have been in the middle of it. It was right below me.”Fleischer and the other men didn’t think they were out of danger yet.
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An injured woman is loaded into an emergency vehicle at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a gunman opened fire inside a terminal, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
How the Fort Lauderdale shooting suspect was able to get a gun past airport security — legally
Flyers are allowed to travel across the country with guns, provided they follow the rules. The gun has to be locked in a hard-sided case. Usually, there’s a form to fill out. The gun can’t be loaded, but the rules allow passengers to also carry ammunition, sometimes in the same case. The TSA has a helpful video with cheery music detailing the process.Santiago, an Army veteran from Alaska who complained that the government was controlling his mind, was arrested following the mass shooting and remained jailed Saturday in Broward County, Fla.
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People shelter by a post at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.
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A young woman runs behind a police officer as they seek cover outside of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people wear killed.
Few answers in aftermath of Florida airport shooting
The man accused of a bloody shooting spree that left five people dead and six wounded at the international airport here faces a court appearance Monday while the motive for his rampage remains a mystery. People take cover outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people wear killed and 8 wounded in an attack by a single gunman.
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A police officer checks a person seeking cover while securing the area outside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Airport shooting suspect appears in federal court
Esteban Santiago, the 26-year-old military veteran charged with killing and injuring nearly a dozen travelers with a handgun at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, was ordered detained before trial on Monday by a federal magistrate judge.Judge Alicia Valle also assigned a federal public defender to represent Santiago, a New Jersey native raised in Puerto Rico, after determining he was unable to pay for his own lawyer. His arraignment, when formal charges will be presented, was set for Jan. 23.
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People react at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said.
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Members of the ATF and FBI arrive at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, authorities said.
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Law enforcement officers talk to a man at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, authorities said.
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Law enforcement officials head to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said.
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A first responder works to secure the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Law enforcement officials head to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Passengers wait on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said.
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People take cover outside Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florid. Officials are reporting that five people were killed and eight wounded in an attack from a single gunman.
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Police assist people seeking cover outside Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting near the baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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People run on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Law enforcement personnel arrive in an armored car outside Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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People take cover behind vehicles at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport.
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Law enforcement personnel stand outside a garage area at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody.
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A law enforcement helicopter flies over a garage area at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Law enforcement personnel shield civilians outside a garage area at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,, after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody.
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Police direct traffic outside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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People leave a garage area with their hands up outside Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Police question people who are evacuating from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport near the tarmac after a shooting in the Florida airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.
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Passengers are shown on the tarmac outside Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody.
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People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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An injured woman is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities say a lone shooter opened fire at the airport Friday afternoon, killing "multiple" people before he was taken into custody.
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Police officers stand on the perimeter road along the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a lone shooter opened fire inside the terminal Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A gunman opened fire at the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, officials said
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Travelers and airport workers are evacuated out of the terminal after a shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.
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A shooting victim arrives at Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities say a lone shooter opened fire at the city's airport, killing "multiple" people before he was taken into custody.
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Travelers are evacuated out of the terminal and onto the tarmac after a shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.
The federal law enforcement official told PEOPLE that the suspect arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Friday, on a Delta red-eye flight originating from Anchorage via Minneapolis, with checked baggage containing a firearm.
He allegedly picked up the checked firearm at baggage claim, before going to the bathroom, gathering his weapon and changing into a Star Wars shirt. He then exited the bathroom and allegedly began firing at those around the baggage carousel.
He was apprehended by a Broward County sheriff’s deputy and taken into custody without incident, Sheriff Scott Israel said at a Friday press conference. Israel added that the suspect, who wasn’t hit by gunfire, is being interviewed by FBI agents and Broward County sheriff’s deputies.
Bryan confirmed to NBC News that his brother owned a handgun, and suggested that maybe the incident was caused by a “flashback” to his time in Iraq. He said that the suspect was not diagnosed with PTSD, however.
Airport shooting suspect appears in federal court .
Esteban Santiago, the 26-year-old military veteran charged with killing and injuring nearly a dozen travelers with a handgun at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, was ordered detained before trial on Monday by a federal magistrate judge.Judge Alicia Valle also assigned a federal public defender to represent Santiago, a New Jersey native raised in Puerto Rico, after determining he was unable to pay for his own lawyer. His arraignment, when formal charges will be presented, was set for Jan. 23.
The deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale’s airport serves as a stark reminder of the challenges of providing security outside checkpoints at sprawling airports. Transportation Security Administration officers scrutinize passengers before they board planes, but those officers are unarmed and located inside the airport beyond airline check-in desks. Armed local police routinely patrol public areas of airports, but sparsely compared to TSA staffing. Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security, has moved to limit airport terminal entrances and have more uniformed patrols of public areas in airports, such as arrivals and baggage claim. But the lack of security at terminal doors is a vulnerability that officials have long acknowledged, but that is difficult to remedy because of the prohibitive cost of staffing every entrance. Evidence of the challenge came in the June bombing of Istanbul’s airport, when three men detonated explosives on luggage carts as two approached a security checkpoint, while a third remained outside. The attack, which killed 45 people, was linked to the Islamic State. Security experts said the death toll could have been higher if the airport hadn't posted armed guards at the terminal doors. That move came after March bombings at Brussels airport and a nearby subway station killed 32 people. In November 2013 at Los Angeles airport, a gunman killed a TSA officer and wounded several passengers. 
A shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday left five dead and eight wounded, as the airport descended into chaos, with passengers taking shelter, flights diverted and unsubstantiated reports of additional gunshots.A suspect identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, was taken into custody without incident. He reportedly retrieved a gun from a checked bag and started shooting. A veteran of service in Iraq, he had been discharged from the Alaska Army National Guard last August for unsatisfactory performance, according to its public affairs office. 
Fort Lauderdale airport reopened after Friday's deadly shooting but flight delays and cancellations were set to continue.People take cover outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people wear killed and 8 wounded in an attack by a single gunman. 
The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travelers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida appears to have traveled there specifically to carry out the attack, authorities said Saturday.Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the cooperative suspect, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed. 
The former White House spokesman had to use the restroom. Nature's call may have saved his life. “Just as I was leaving the bathroom, I heard tap-tap-tap, tap-tap, tap. Multiple gunshots ringing out,” he told The Washington Post. “And there was a small group of guys, we all stopped at the opening leading out to the area right above the escalator. We all realized it was gunfire and it was coming from the level below us at the escalator.”“…I would have been in the middle of it. It was right below me.”Fleischer and the other men didn’t think they were out of danger yet. 
Flyers are allowed to travel across the country with guns, provided they follow the rules. The gun has to be locked in a hard-sided case. Usually, there’s a form to fill out. The gun can’t be loaded, but the rules allow passengers to also carry ammunition, sometimes in the same case. The TSA has a helpful video with cheery music detailing the process.Santiago, an Army veteran from Alaska who complained that the government was controlling his mind, was arrested following the mass shooting and remained jailed Saturday in Broward County, Fla. 
The man accused of a bloody shooting spree that left five people dead and six wounded at the international airport here faces a court appearance Monday while the motive for his rampage remains a mystery. People take cover outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near baggage claim on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people wear killed and 8 wounded in an attack by a single gunman. 
Esteban Santiago, the 26-year-old military veteran charged with killing and injuring nearly a dozen travelers with a handgun at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, was ordered detained before trial on Monday by a federal magistrate judge.Judge Alicia Valle also assigned a federal public defender to represent Santiago, a New Jersey native raised in Puerto Rico, after determining he was unable to pay for his own lawyer. His arraignment, when formal charges will be presented, was set for Jan. 23. 
Sprawling airports difficult to defend from armed attack 
Details emerge of suspect in Fort Lauderdale airport shootings 
Airport Reopens After Deadly Shooting Chaos 
FBI: Airport gunman traveled to Florida for massacre 
‘There was a trail of blood’: Ari Fleischer was nearly caught in the Fort... 
How the Fort Lauderdale shooting suspect was able to get a gun past airport... 
Few answers in aftermath of Florida airport shooting 
Airport shooting suspect appears in federal court