President Obama said he was 'heartbroken' for the families affected by the shooting

He was discharged from the National Army Guard for unsatisfactory performance in August

giving a one-fingered salute similar to one used by Islamic State

Sources say he walked into an FBI office in Alaska last year claiming he was being forced to fight for ISIS

He reportedly had a history of mental health problems and family say he returned from Iraq acting strangely

Santiago had been living in Anchorage for two years with his girlfriend and their newborn baby

He loaded his gun in the bathroom after landing and was silent as he shot dead victims in baggage claim area

Santiago flew into the Florida airport from Anchorage, Alaska, and had checked his gun for the flight

Gunman Esteban Santiago, 26, - an Iraq army veteran - was taken into custody after he threw his empty weapon down and lay spread-eagle on the ground

Five people dead and eight injured after gunman opened fire in Florida's Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport


Police are investigating whether the lone shooter who opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport in Florida was mentally disturbed or if he had any links to ISIS after he executed five people in the baggage claim hall with a gun he had checked in his luggage.

Gunman Esteban Santiago - an Iraq war veteran - opened fire in the lower level baggage claim area in Terminal 2 on Friday about 1pm. He was taken into custody after he threw his empty weapon down and lay spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said.

Santiago flew into the airport from Anchorage, Alaska (with a layover in Minneapolis, St. Paul) on Delta flight 2182 with a firearm as his only piece of checked luggage. The 26-year-old, who was dressed in a Star Wars t-shirt, claimed his bag, went to the bathroom to load his handgun and then started shooting people dead.

Terry Andres, of Virginia, and Olga Woltering, of Georgia, were among those who were killed.

Mr Andres, a 62-year-old grandfather, was at the airport with his wife to go on a vacation, while Mrs Woltering was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday.

Law enforcement are now investigating why Santiago was in Florida as they try to determine a motive for the shooting spree. FBI officials said late Friday they had not ruled out terrorism and were investigating all angles.

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Esteban Santiago, 26 (pictured left giving a one-fingered salute similar to ISIS jihadists), has been identified as the gunman in the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood airport shooting. He is said to have a girlfriend and child (right) back in Alaska

Santiago served in Iraq in 2010 as a private first class and combat engineer. He received half a dozen medals before receiving a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance in August last year

Santiago's relatives said the 26-year-old had a history of mental health issues - some of which followed his military service in Iraq several years ago.

Named victims so far A 62-year-old man and a great grandmother were among the victims of the deadly Ft. Lauderdale airport shooting in Florida. Terry Andres, of Virginia, and Olga Woltering, of Georgia, were among the five shot dead by 26-year-old gunman Esteban Santiago as passengers collected their baggage in the terminal on Friday. Mr Andres was on vacation with his wife when he was killed. Olga Woltering, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday. Advertisement

Authorities said Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage in November last year claiming the government was trying to control his mind and he was being forced to watch ISIS videos, CBS reports. After that incident, Santiago started getting treatment for his mental health issues.

He was previously pictured giving a one-fingered salute, which is commonly used by Islamic State jihadists often before they embark on a suicide bombing.

Santiago was also contacted by the FBI after an employer back in Alaska raised concerns about certain things he had said, according to ABC News

Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011.

A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before receiving a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance in August last year.

His aunt Maria Ruiz told NorthJersey.com that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child in September last year.

But she said something happened to him about a month ago and he was hospitalized for two weeks. She did not have details of his condition.

'Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind. He said he saw things,' she said.

Santiago's brother Bryan Santiago said he could have suffered a 'flashback' from his time in Iraq, despite never being diagnosed with PTSD, NBC reports.

Santiago was an Iraq veteran having served in the country for one year before being discharged in August last year. He flew into Florida from Alaska on Friday, after transferring at Minneapolis-St. Paul

Among the first of the victims to be named is Terry Andres (pictured) - a 62-year-old grandfather who was at the airport with his wife to go on a vacation

Olga Woltering, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday

Law enforcement officers examined the crime scene inside the baggage hall on Friday night

A picture shared on social media allegedly showed one of the people who was shot by a gunman

A shooting victim is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

A shooting victim is seen in the back of an ambulance after arriving at the Broward Health Trauma Center on Friday

Gunman 'lost his head' after Iraq tour, say his family Santaigo's aunt Maria Ruiz, who lives in New Jersey, said that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child last year The gunman behind the deadly shooting at Florida's Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport is an Iraq war veteran who had recently become a father and was suffering mental health issues, according to his family. Esteban Santiago, 26, left five people dead and eight wounded when he opened fire in the airport's baggage claim terminal on Friday. His family have said Santiago was struggling with psychiatric problems in the lead up to the shooting and had recently been hospitalized for treatment in Anchorage, Alaska. Santiago had also been charged with domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend in January 2016, The Daily Beast reports. He allegedly verbally abused her in their apartment in Anchorage, Alaska while she was locked in the bathroom. Santiago is accused of then breaking down the door and hitting the woman in the head and strangling her. Santiago was arrested days later after fleeing the scene but was released on the condition he stayed away from the victim. He was charged with violating the conditions in February 2016 after police found him at his girlfriend's home. The assault case was resolved in March. His brother Bryan Santiago, who lives in Puerto Rico, said his family got a call in recent months from Santiago's girlfriend alerting them to his health situation. He said he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the phone. The incident that sparked his hospitalization occurred in November when Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage claiming the government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch videos for ISIS, CBS reports. A law enforcement official said the FBI interviewed him and then called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation. The FBI said Santiago stated he did not want to harm anyone, but authorities were concerned by his erratic behavior. They said they closed their assessment of him once he was admitted for treatment. He was also contacted by the FBI after an employer back in Alaska raised concerns about certain things he had said, according to ABC News. Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico when he was two years old with his mother and brother. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before serving with the Puerto Rico National Guard from 2007. He eventually joined the Alaska National guard from 2014 to 2016. Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before receiving a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance in August last year. He had been living in Anchorage, Alaska with his girlfriend for two years before they welcomed a child in September last year. His aunt Maria Ruiz told NorthJersey.com that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child. But she said something happened to him about a month ago and he was hospitalized for two weeks. She did not have details of his condition. 'Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind. He said he saw things,' she said. His uncle, Hernan Rivera, said: 'Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good.' Santiago's brother Bryan Santiago speculated about a motive for the shooting, saying he could have suffered a 'flashback' from his time in Iraq, despite never being diagnosed with PTSD, NBC reports. He said had recently been fighting with people back in Alaska, including his girlfriend who he was having relationship issues with. He said Santiago, who was 'was pro-America', has not spoken to his family for several weeks, which was unusual. Advertisement

The motive for the shooting is still not known, but Florida Senator Marco Rubio told CNN that Santiago may have gotten into an altercation on his flight earlier that morning.

'I know that was mentioned as a potential cause and they wanted to kind of look into that a little further and get to that point,' Rubio said.

Santiago's brother said he had been fighting with people back in Alaska, including his girlfriend who he was having relationship issues with.

He said Santiago, who was 'was pro-America', has not spoken to his family for several weeks.

'We have not talked for the past three weeks,' Bryan told the Associated Press. 'That's a bit unusual... I'm in shock. He was a serious person... He was a normal person.'

The gunman was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico where his mother and brother still live. He came back to Puerto Rico after serving in Iraq, before moving to Alaska. He lived there from 2014 to 2016 and his girlfriend and child are still there. His most recent address was in Naples, Florida.

Other details about the shooter reveal he had a minor criminal record for traffic violations, according to court records. He was also evicted by his landlord for failing to pay rent in February 2015.

Santiago was charged with fourth-degree assault and damage of property in January 2016, stemming from a domestic violence incident.

In March, Santiago settled the charges by agreeing to complete unknown requirements demanded by prosecutors in exchange for dismissing the case.

People were seen on the floor trying to comfort loved ones (left), while others appeared to be shielding others (right)

This picture shows what may be the weapon that was used by the gunman in the shooting on Friday

HOW CAN YOU CARRY A GUN IN LUGGAGE? It is legal for unloaded firearms to be transported, according to rules set out by the Transportation Security Administration. Unloaded firearms must be locked in a hard-sided container in checked baggage only. The firearm and ammunition must be declared to the airline at the baggage counter. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. *Source: Transportation Security Administration Advertisement

About 90 minutes after the shooting in the airport on Friday, chaos broke out again when police officers were seen rushing into the parking garage with their guns drawn while bystanders sought shelter behind vehicles.

But the Broward County Sheriff said the only shooting that happened was in Terminal 2 and that he believes only the one gunman was involved.

A witness told NBC Miami that the shooter was silent and didn't appear to be targeting anyone in particular - 'popping off bullets at random'.

John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, said the shooter was 'directly firing at us' while passengers waited for their bags to come off the carousel.

In another interview with Fox News, Schlicher said that the shooter was aiming at people's heads.

'All the people seemed to be shot in the head,' Schlicher said. 'He was shooting people who were down on the ground too.'

The shooter reloaded once for a second burst of shooting, Schlicher said, but he could not say how many bullets were fired.

His aunt Maria Ruiz, who lives in New Jersey, said that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child last year

Authorities investigate the home of Maria Luisa Ruiz in Union City, New Jersey. Ruiz is the aunt of the Esteban Santiago, the main suspect in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Shooting on Friday

Santiago had been living in this apartment complex in Anchorage, Alaska with his girlfriend and their newborn baby

Terrified people were seen running across the tarmac about 2:30pm - more than an hour after the shooting was reported

An armed police officer with his handgun drawn is seen helping a woman evacuate during the chaos

People leave a garage area with their hands up in the air outside the airport after the shooting on Friday

People take cover outside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6

Police assist people seeking cover outside of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

Police forced bystanders to take cover and lay low outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport

People are seen desperately running across the tarmac after the shooting earlier in the afternoon

Law enforcement personnel arrive in an armored car at the airport after the deadly shooting that saw five killed

People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

People wait at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim

Police question people who are evacuating from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport near the tarmac

Shocking video has emerged from inside the terminal where a gunman opened fire on Friday

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel spoke to the media about 3:30pm and provided more details on the incident

TIMELINE OF THE SHOOTING 12:57pm - Reports of the shooting emerged. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said: 'everyone is running' 1:16pm - Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport released a statement confirming there was an 'ongoing incident' at the baggage claim in Terminal 2 1:37pm - Pictures and videos emerged of passengers being evacuated out onto the tarmac 1:50pm - Officials said all services at the airport had been temporarily suspended 2:33pm - TSA issued a second warning. 'Update: Active shooter. Shelter in place.' There were reports of an incident in Terminal 1, where a pilot said they smelled gun powder 2:37pm - Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said the shooter had landed at the airport on an international flight and collected the gun - which he had checked into his luggage. He then, according to LaMarca, walked into the bathroom, loaded his weapon, then walked back out into the baggage claim and opened fire. 3:33pm - Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said only one person had been arrested in the shooting. Advertisement

Mark Lea, a 53-year-old financial adviser from Minneapolis, says he was in baggage claim when the shooting started.

'I was dodging bullets and trying to help people get out of the way,' Lea said.

'At first we thought it was firecrackers,' he said. 'Everyone started screaming and running. The shooter made his way down through baggage claim. He had what looked like a 9mm and emptied his entire clip. People were trying to run.'

Ari Fleischer, a former White House spokesman who was at the scene, tweeted: 'I'm at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.'

Cellphone video footage broadcast by local Fox television affiliate Channel 7 showed one person lying bloodied on the floor, and several others on their knees.

A passenger named as Peter Cruise said he believed that travelers on his plane were among the victims.

He said he and his family 'were walking up the ramp and just passed the checking gate when all a sudden everybody started running.'

'I grabbed the kids and took off running down the ramp. Told the flight attendant to let us off the tarmac, we ran to hide behind some luggage carts.'

Video from the airport Friday afternoon showed hundreds of passengers corralled together on the tarmac with emergency vehicles parked outside the terminal with lights flashing.

Governor Rick Scott rushed to the airport to be briefed on the shooting, as dozens of police and emergency vehicles converged on the scene.

President-elect Donald Trump said he had spoken with Scott, and was 'monitoring the terrible situation in Florida.'

'Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!' he tweeted.

President Barack Obama has also been briefed on the developing situation.

He told ABC News on Friday night that he was 'heartbroken' for the families affected.

'These kinds of tragedies have happened too often during the eight years I have been president. The pain, the grief, the shock that they must be going through is enormous,' he said.

The Florida attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others who are loners or mentally disturbed who have easy access to weapons under U.S. gun laws.

Jesse Davis, chief of police at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, said Santiago didn't call attention to himself and 'as far as we can tell' traveled alone from Alaska to Florida.

He said that a firearm was his only piece of checked luggage.

Authorities are trying to track 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.

The one-fingered ISIS salute adopted by the gunman A photo of Florida airport gunman Esteban Santiago appears to show him making a jihadist one-fingered salute while wearing a Mid-Eastern keffiyeh sometime prior to him carrying out the shooting massacre. The 26-year-old Iraq war veteran was pictured in the photo gesturing with his index finger in a pose that has become notorious among supporters of the Islamic State. Law enforcement officers are currently looking at whether Santiago had any links to ISIS or if he was mentally disturbed as part of their investigation into the deaths of five people in the baggage claim hall at Ft. Lauderdale airport on Friday. FBI officials said late on Friday night they had not ruled out terrorism and were investigating all angles as they try to determine a motive for the shooting spree. It was not immediately clear where or when the photo of Santiago was taken in which he appears to be making the jihadist salute. The traditional Islamic gesture - which refers to the tawhid or 'the belief in the oneness of God' - has been widely adopted by Islamic State supporters (above). Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev posed in a similar stance in front of an Islamic flag in his bedroom. Advertisement

Donald Trump tweeted that he was monitoring the situation at the airport about an hour after it happened

People take cover at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport after a gunman killed 5 people and injured many more

Police assist a woman seeking cover outside Terminal 2 at the Florida airport on Friday

Two heavily-armed law enforcement officials are seen standing outside the garage at the airport. There had been reports of a potential second incident

Law enforcement personnel stand near the airport on Friday

A group of people are seen walking out of a parking garage with their hands in the air after the shooting

A law enforcement helicopter is seen flying over a garage at the airport after it was put into lockdown

People take cover outside Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. One woman is openly weeping as she hides behind the barrier

An official is seen directing people who were running on the tarmac in Florida on Friday afternoon

Police evacuate a civilian from an area at Fort Lauderdale Airport about 3pm on Friday after the shooting

Footage showed police officers in a stairwell as the airport remained a crime scene into the afternoon

Photo courtesy of Taylor Elenburg shows passengers gathering on the tarmac of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida after a gunman opened fire

Travelers and airport workers are evacuated out of the terminal after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida

A heavily armored vehicle is seen heading to the the airport after the shooting

An aerial view taken on April 20, 2016 shows the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida, where a gunman opened fire on Friday

People who were evacuated onto the tarmac were put onto buses and moved. The airport has since been shut down

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was in the airport at the time of the shooting and tweeted about what was happening

Fleischer said police had told him there were five victims. That number has now reportedly risen

The former White House Press Secretary said it appeared as thought the situation had been controlled, but people were still in the airport