FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Airport shooting suspect Esteban Santiago is facing federal charges that could bring the death penalty after he told investigators he planned the carnage and purchased a one-way ticket to Fort Lauderdale to carry it out.
Federal prosecutors filed court documents detailing airport violence, gun and murder allegations against Santiago on Saturday. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life in federal prison, they said.
"Santiago fired approximately 10 to 15 rounds of ammunition from his firearm, aiming at his victims' heads. He was described as walking while shooting in a methodical manner," FBI Special Agent Michael Ferlazzo wrote in court records.
Five people died and six more suffered gunshot injuries.
"At one point, he exited the Terminal 2 baggage area (and went) onto the sidewalk and then re-entered, still carrying the handgun," agents wrote.
Moments later, a Broward sheriff's deputy approached Santiago, who "dropped the handgun on the ground, in lock-back (mode), meaning that all the ammunition had been fired, and (he) dropped to the floor," investigators wrote.
He told investigators he checked baggage that contained a Walther 9mm semi-automatic handgun and two magazines of ammunition. After claiming his baggage, he said he took it into a stall in the men's restroom, removed the gun, loaded it and put it in his waistband, authorities said.
"He then left the men's restroom and shot the first people he encountered," agents wrote. "Santiago emptied his first magazine, then reloaded and shot until the second magazine, too, was out of bullets. He believes he shot approximately 15 rounds before his arrest."
The shootings were apparently recorded by security video, which agents said corroborated Santiago's confession and witnesses' statements.
Santiago, 26, is scheduled to make his first appearance at 11 a.m. Monday morning in federal court in Fort Lauderdale.
It could be several days, or weeks, before formal charges are filed. Prosecutors would most likely seek an indictment by presenting their evidence to a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale.
At the initial court hearing in federal court, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle would explain the allegations to Santiago. The judge would also likely appoint the Federal Public Defender's Office to represent Santiago, if he does not hire a private attorney.
If Santiago says he wants to try to persuade the judge to release him on bond _ a request that would certainly be rejected because of the danger he would pose to the public or that he might flee from justice _ the prosecution and defense would have several days to prepare for it.
Although state prosecutors in Florida quite frequently seek the death penalty, it is very uncommon for federal prosecutors to pursue it.
Federal judges and jurors in Florida have only sentenced two men to Federal Death Row since Congress reinstated the death penalty in 1988.
Drug runners Daniel Troya and Ricardo Sanchez Jr., both 33, received two death sentences each, followed by four consecutive life sentences in 2009. Jurors found them guilty of slaughtering a Greenacres family _ including a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old _ along the turnpike in 2006. Prosecutors said the murders were ordered to settle a drug debt.
Both men are imprisoned in the high-security federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind.
Broward state prosecutors could separately seek to file murder charges against Santiago because the shooting deaths occurred in Broward County.
The Broward State Attorney's Office is cooperating with federal prosecutors and no decision on that has yet been made, a spokesman said Saturday.
"We are here to help any way that we can. A decision will be made in the next few days about how we can help," said Ron Ishoy, a spokesman for Broward State Attorney Mike Satz.
