FBI: Airport gunman believed government controlled his mind

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — An Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said.

The Broward County sheriff said 37 people were injured after the shooting incident, likely due to people scrambling and rushing out of the airport.

The Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport was evacuated and operations have been shut down since the shooting.

Airport officials said they hope to be back in operation at 5 a.m. Saturday.

Video: Passengers duck, hide at airport

Photos: Shots fired at Fort Lauderdale airport

Video: Airport evacuated after shootings

The Broward County Sheriff's Office said the accused shooter, Esteban Santiago, was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said.

Sen. Bill Nelson told ABC News that the gunman had a military ID.

Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage -- his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport.

At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators.

Bryan Santiago said he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the phone.

More: Brother says Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect treated for mental health

FBI officials said that in November, Esteban Santiago told them that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos.

The FBI said agents in Anchorage completed their interview with Esteban Santiago and called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation.

The FBI's Anchorage field office said in a statement that it was aware Esteban Santiago was an Anchorage resident and that it was assisting in the investigation, but it declined to comment further.

Authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation.

Davis, a chief of police at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, told The Associated Press that Esteban Santiago flew out of Anchorage, Alaska, on a 9:52 p.m. Delta flight Thursday, and that a firearm was his only piece of checked luggage. He said Santiago flew from Anchorage to Minneapolis-St. Paul and on to Fort Lauderdale.

Davis said Esteban Santiago didn't call attention to himself and "as far as we can tell" traveled alone, but he said the investigation is ongoing.

Authorities are trying to track Esteban Santiago's movements through Alaska's largest commercial airport using video footage.

Davis noted that it's not usual for travelers at the Alaska airport to check firearms because many people hunt.

A Broward County commissioner told ABC News that the man had a gun “legally checked” in his bag. But the sheriff’s office has not confirmed that information.

According to the TSA's website: "You may transport unloaded firearms in a locked hard-sided container as checked baggage only. Declare the firearm and/or ammunition to the airline when checking your bag at the ticket counter. The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. Be aware that the container the firearm was in when purchased may not adequately secure the firearm when it is transported in checked baggage."

ABC News reported that senior officials said the shooting suspect flew from Anchorage, Alaska, to Minneapolis before landing in Fort Lauderdale.

There were reports that the gunman had flown out of Canada, but an embassy spokeswoman said that the shooting suspect has “no connection to Canada,” and did not fly from that country.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said the investigation was “fluid and active.“

Israel said it’s too early to tell whether terrorism is a factor in the shooting.

A representative from the FBI Miami branch said agents will “actively support the Broward Sheriff’s Office until we determine the motive.”

A passenger said he heard the first gunshots as he picked up his luggage from a baggage claim carousel.

John Schilcher told a national news outlet that the person next to him fell to the ground. He said other people started falling, and he then dropped to the ground with his wife and mother-in-law.

Schilcher said "the firing just went on and on."

Story: Pilot stood guard with gun outside locked plane at airport

He said the shooter emptied his weapon and reloaded during an eerily quiet lull in the gunfire. Schilcher said he didn't assume it was safe until he saw a police officer standing over him.

One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand.

Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen.

The sheriff's office said the eight injured people were transported to a hospital. The names of the victims have not been released.

American Airlines has canceled all flights into Fort Lauderdale airport.

Section: Check flight status

Story: OIA cancels some flights to Fort Lauderdale following shooting

"Whenever there's an incident like this that occurs, there's going to be heightened security/monitoring," Carolyn Fennell of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority said. "All agencies are engaged. Security isn't the responsibility of any one agency, but all of us."

The shooting has not impacted operations at the Orlando-Sanford International Airport, according to airport representative Diane Crews.

Crews said the airport is, however, in a state of heightened security.

Channel 9 obtained the video below of the injured being treated at the scene:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.   

Cox Media Group