______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Caroline Ramsey _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ On January 6, 2017, early afternoon, shots were fired at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Fort Lauderdale, one of the nation's top commercial airports, sees hundreds of thousands of people daily in and out of its doors.This particular Friday, however, the sense of routine and normalcy that usually surrounds the hustle and bustle of the airport was interrupted by a fatal shooting. Of what little information police know, the suspect is 26-year-old Esteban Santiago-Ruiz. An Alaskan resident, military personnel, and American Citizen, Santiago-Ruiz was a passenger on an incoming Delta flight to Ft, Lauderdale. When he arrived at baggage claim, he repossessed his 9 mm pistol and went in the bathroom for a short while. It was then a few minutes later he reemerged, firing on the innocent bystanders around him, killing five Five were killed by bullet wounds and around 42 others injured from mass hysteria and panic. Flights taking off from Fort Lauderdale airport were grounded and flyers were forced to wait on the runway while the situation was being dealt with. The suspect was taken into police custody shortly after.
Since then the FBI has started an investigation into the possible motives behind the attack. What once was originally thought to be mental illness has spun into a story of a planned attack for ISIS. Currently, the FBI is working vigorously with Florida law enforcements, family and friends of Santiago- Ruiz to check the validity of the shooters statements. In the weeks since the shooting, more is being revealed about our shooter, pointing to signs this attack was premeditated. Months before the attack, in Anchorage Alaska, Santiago-Ruiz voluntarily asked for a psych evaluation. He was later sent on his way being deemed ‘stable’ by the doctor. And they gave him back the gun he would later used in the shooting. Evidence was also found of Santiago-Ruiz going to a gun range several times in Alaska before the attack. In light of the unknown circumstances that surround this case, Santiago-ruiz is being held without bail in prison until his next hearing date. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow want him to remain in custody because “he is a flight risk and a threat to the community”. If he is found guilty, he could face the death penalty. Though it only lasted between 70 and 80 seconds, and the suspect has been caught, a couple questions are likely to remain about this country’s national security presence.What actions are going to be taken to prevent this from happening again? And why did it happen in the first place? Airport security has been an occurring issue in recent years due to the rise in terror and shootings across the country. People are scared and want to know they are safe while traveling. However, these same people don’t want their security to infringe on their rights. This creates a very thin line for law enforcement to do their job and for people to be satisfied, as well.
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