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U.S. NEWS Saturday 18 auguSt 2018

Alaska man gets life in prison for Florida airport shooting

By CURT ANDERSON control, then switched to
AP Legal Affairs Writer unfounded claims he act-
MIAMI (AP) — An Alaska ed in support of the Islamic
man will spend the rest of State extremist group.
his life in prison for the Jan- Several family members of
uary 2017 Florida airport victims — many of whom
shooting that left five peo- were on their way to cruise
ple dead and six wounded, ship vacations — spoke
a federal judge ordered Fri- in court Friday, describing
day. their deep sense of loss for
U.S. District Judge Beth those who died and some
Bloom accepted a plea discussing the health strug-
deal in which Esteban San- gles of shooting survivors.
tiago, 28, agreed to ad- Among those was Julie
mit to the shooting if pros- Beauchamp, whose moth-
ecutors would not seek the er Mary Louise Amzibel was
death penalty. Santiago killed in the attack and fa-
pleaded guilty in May to 11 ther, Edward Amzibel, was
charges of causing death seriously wounded.
and violence at an interna- "You don't get a chance
tional airport. to say one last 'I love you,
Santiago, of Anchor- mom,'" Beauchamp said. "I
age, Alaska, admitted he can no longer hug her and
opened fire with a hand- feel her hug me back."
gun in a baggage area at James Steckley, speaking
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood on behalf of his wounded
International Airport after wife Julie, said he blamed
traveling there on a one- in part what he said was a
way ticket. He retrieved "lack of concern" for mili-
a box containing a Wal- tary veterans once they
ther 9mm handgun from return from combat zones.
checked luggage, loaded Santiago served in the Na-
it in a restroom and came tional Guard in Iraq.
out firing 15 shots. "I'm truly sorry for you in my
Judge Bloom called the heart because I truly don't
rampage "85 seconds of believe you were a born
evil" and said she found it killer," Steckley told Santia-
difficult to "separate the go. In this Jan. 30, 2017, file photo, Esteban Santiago, center, is led from the Broward County jail for an
evil of the acts from the evil Prosecutor Rick Del Toro arraignment in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
in the man." said the family members Associated Press
"You destroyed families in supported the decision not
this senseless attack," the to seek the death penalty Technically, Santiago was restrictions on owning a Del Toro said Santiago's
judge said. for Santiago, in part to avoid sentenced to five consecu- gun, authorities have said. mental illness may have
An Iraq war veteran, San- what would be a lengthy, tive life prison sentences for Santiago later claimed in worsened because he had
tiago was diagnosed af- emotionally wrenching the five deaths and an ad- court he was getting "mes- been regularly taking hallu-
ter the shooting as schizo- court case. Many preferred ditional 120 years for the six sages" in his head prior to cinogenic drugs, including
phrenic but was found that Santiago sit in prison people he wounded. the shooting. LSD and mushrooms. But
competent to understand for decades rather than Prior to the shooting, San- Santiago, a native of New he added that Santiago
legal proceedings. Doctors face execution, he added. tiago was briefly treated Jersey, has family in Puerto meticulously planned the
say he has improved with "Potential attackers need at an Anchorage mental Rico and a young son in attack.
anti-psychotic medication. to know they will never institution after showing up Alaska, court records show. "This isn't a situation where
Santiago initially told the FBI again go free if they con- at the local FBI office claim- He did not speak in court a person with mental illness
after the shooting he was duct an attack such as ing to be hearing voices, Friday and no family mem- just snaps," the prosecutor
under government mind this," Del Toro said. then was released with no bers spoke on his behalf. said.q