ANCHORAGE — The FBI and Anchorage Police Department revealed new details in the case against Esteban Santiago Ruiz, who is accused of shooting and killing five people and wounding others at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida airport on Friday.
Santiago was known to both agencies prior to the shooting at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. In November, Santiago walked in to the Anchorage FBI office to report that a U.S. intelligence agency was controlling his mind, according to FBI special agent in charge Marlin Ritzman.
“Santiago was having terroristic thoughts and believed he was being influenced by ISIS,” APD Chief Chris Tolley added separately.
Ritzman noted that Santiago appeared agitated and incoherent during the interaction but stated he did not wish to harm anyone. Officials took him to an Anchorage medical facility for a mental health evaluation.
FBI’s Marlin Ritzman: “no ties to terrorism” during initial investigation into Santiago. @ktva
— Eric Ruble (@e_ruble) January 7, 2017
During the interview, Santiago had a loaded magazine with him inside the FBI office, and police found a gun in his vehicle, along with his infant daughter. The girl’s mother was contacted to take the child, according to Ritzman.
Following his evaluation, the FBI closed its case into Santiago’s claims and he was released.
“I want to be clear, during our investigation, we found no known ties to terrorism,” Ritzman said at the press conference. “He had broken no laws when he came into our office making disjointed comments about mind control.”
Esteban Santiago Ruiz. Source: Law enforcement sources
When asked if Santiago should have been allowed a weapon following what the FBI described as a mental health crisis, U.S. Attorney for Alaska Karen Loeffler explained that in order for someone to be banned from having a gun under U.S. laws, they must be adjudicated mentally ill, which she called a “difficult standard.” She said under federal law, Santiago would not have been prohibited from possessing a gun.
Ritzman stated that the FBI did not believe Santiago was working with anyone else in connection to the shooting. Tolley said APD likewise believed that the suspect was not working with anyone in Anchorage and did not pose a threat to Anchorage residents.
“I would like to stress that point,” Ritzman added. “Our community here in Anchorage is not facing any known threat in connection with Esteban Santiago.”
Tolley said APD was cooperating with federal, state and local officials in the investigation. Two searches were conducted in Anchorage, according to Ritzman, along with multiple interviews with Santiago Ruiz’s contacts.
Tolley presented an outline of previous interactions between APD and Santiago:
- Jan. 11, 2016 – APD responded to a report of a physical disturbance, which resulted in Santiago’s arrest. He was charged with criminal mischief.
- Feb. 23, 2016 – APD arrested Santiago for violating his conditions of release.
- March 18, 2016 – APD responded to another report of a physical disturbance involving Santiago, but he was not arrested.
- Oct. 15, 2016 – Another physical disturbance was reported to APD that was related to domestic violence, but Santiago was not arrested.
- Oct. 21, 2016 – A physical disturbance involving strangulation was reported to APD, but there was no probable cause for Santiago’s arrest.
- Nov. 7, 2016 – Santiago walked in to the FBI office exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis. APD confiscated his gun, which was held by the agency for safe-keeping.
- Nov. 30, 2016 – Santiago attempted to retrieve the gun police held on Nov. 7, but left APD without it.
- Dec. 8, 2016 – The weapon was released to Santiago.
No clear answer if weapon released is the same one used in South Florida. @ktva
— Eric Ruble (@e_ruble) January 7, 2017
When asked if the weapon APD confiscated and later returned to Santiago was the same one used in the Fort Lauderdale shooting, both Tolley and Ritzman replied that they had not been given that information.
KTVA 11’s Eric Ruble contributed to this report.
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