Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooter Formally Indicted by Grand Jury

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A federal grand jury sitting in Broward County on Thursday formally indicted accused Fort Lauderdale airport shooter Esteban Santiago Ruiz ahead of next week's arraignment.

The grand jury returned a 22-count indictment against Santiago Ruiz in connection with the deadly Jan. 6 rampage that killed five people and wounded six others on a busy Friday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Santiago’s arraignment has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry L. Seltzer in Fort Lauderdale.

The federal indictment charges Santiago Ruiz with 11 counts of performing an act of violence against a person at an airport serving international civil aviation that caused death or serious bodily injury, six counts of use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and five counts of causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. The charges carry a maximum penalty of death.

A federal magistrate earlier this month ordered the troubled 26-year-old to remain behind bars until his arraignment without bail.

The first reports of shots fired in the airport came in shortly before 1 p.m. on Jan. 6.

The website, TMZ released video of the initial seconds of the attack showing the airport shooter casually walking through the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 with a semi-automatic handgun tucked in his waistband and then firing the first shots as travelers took cover.

"The area was crowded with newly-arrived passengers retrieving their luggage," according to a criminal complaint. "Santiago started shooting, aiming at his victims’ heads until he was out of ammunition. Santiago killed five people and wounded six more. Moments later, Santiago was confronted by a BSO deputy. He dropped his handgun on the ground and was arrested by BSO deputies."

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ricardo A. Del Toro with assistance from Department of Justice Trial Attorney Larry Schneider.

A native of New Jersey, Santiago Ruiz walked into the FBI's office in Anchorage in November and demonstrated behavior "erratic" enough that local police were called and took him to a medical hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Santiago Ruiz allegedly traveled from Alaska to Minneapolis before landing in Fort Lauderdale on a Delta flight. He reportedly retrieved his semi-automatic handgun from the Delta flight, entered a restroom to load it and emerged shooting.

More than an hour after the shooting, heavily armed officers were still searching a parking garage at the airport, and passengers who had been standing outdoors on tarmacs were seen running from their holding spots as reports spread that there might have been a second shooter.

Photo courtesy Broward County Sheriff's Office.