CRIME

Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect Esteban Santiago set to appear in court on Tuesday

Alexi C. Cardona

alexi.cardona@naplesnews.com; 239-403-6153

An undated handout photo made available by the Broward County Sheriff's Department shows Esteban Santiago in custody following a shooting which left at least five people dead and several injured at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale.

Esteban Santiago, the man accused of killing five people and injuring six others in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shooting on Jan. 6, is set to appear in court again Tuesday for a pretrial detention hearing.

Federal detention hearings are held in cases that involve violent crimes, offenses with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or death, and serious risk of flight.

The prosecution will have to prove that no conditions of release will ensure the public’s safety. It will likely be determined during the hearing where Santiago, 26, will be held and the terms of his detention.

In his first appearance last week, Santiago answered U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle’s questions about his finances and whether he understood the charges against him. Valle determined Santiago was indigent and appointed him a public defender.

A criminal complaint filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleges that Santiago committed murder, airport violence and firearm violations.

Santiago fired 10 to 15 rounds of ammunition from his 9 mm handgun and shot at people in a “methodical manner,” aiming for victims’ heads, according to the criminal complaint affidavit.

When his ammunition was spent, Santiago dropped to the floor.

During an interview with FBI agents, Santiago said he planned the attack and bought a one-way plane ticket from Anchorage, Alaska, to Fort Lauderdale with a layover in Minneapolis, the affidavit states.

Santiago checked one item — the 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. When he arrived in Fort Lauderdale, he claimed the box containing the weapon, walked into a bathroom to load the gun and put it in his waistband, authorities say.

“He then left the men’s restroom and shot the first people he encountered,” the affidavit states.

Santiago is being held in the Broward County Main Jail with no bail, according to an arrest log.

His arraignment is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 23.

Esteban Santiago, suspect in the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 6, is escorted out of the Broward County Jail before his pretrial detention hearing Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017.

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