The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five people at Fort Lauderdale airport apparently chose to travel to Florida to carry out the rampage, and there are no signs any altercation came before the attack, authorities said today.
The 26-year-old suspect, Esteban Santiago, had a history of acting erratically and investigators are probing whether mental illness played a role in America's latest mass shooting.
Mr Santiago cooperated with investigators during an interview that lasted several hours overnight, George Piro, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Miami, said today.
"Indications are that he came here to carry out this horrific attack," Mr Piro told reporters at the airport.
Federal charges against Mr Santiago are due to be announced later today.
Five people were killed and eight wounded in the attack, while some three dozen were taken to local hospitals with bruises or broken bones suffered in the chaos as passengers fled.
Florida Governor Rick Scott said some of the victims were still in surgery fighting for their lives after yesterday's rampage in the crowded baggage claim area. The gunman was taken into custody by police.
Mr Piro said investigators have not ruled out terrorism as a reason for the attack and were reviewing the suspect's recent travel.
Authorities said Mr Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale on a connecting flight from Alaska, and that he retrieved a 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his checked luggage then loaded it in a bathroom before emerging and shooting indiscriminately.
Witnesses said the gunman, who was wearing a Star Wars T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, and that he surrendered to police only after running out of ammunition.
Mr 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, according to the Pentagon.
A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year.
An aunt said he came back from his deployment "a different person," MSNBC reported.
Flying with firearms is routine and legal in the United States as long as the guns are kept in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only, under TSA rules.
Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on bags but is allowed in checked luggage.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
