After the shooting that took place on Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, many people are asking just who is Esteban Santiago? The answers are saddening. Santiago is a 26-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, a former National Guardsman who served in Iraq as an Army Combat Engineer, and who also was according to federal law enforcement officials he was undergoing treatment for mental health problems, complaining that he was hearing voices.
In the aftermath of this horrific event, it turns out that Santiago actually went into the FBI building located in Anchorage before this all took place claiming he was being controlled by the CIA. The FBI also took possession of his weapon, yes the same one used in this shooting. All this can be chalked up to gaps in the law itself, and that is exactly what the FBI points to, that it had no lawful authority to do anything but send the man on his way.
Though the question of whether or not Santiago or any other US citizen having the right to walk away from the FBI is not the only thing that should be considered here. A complete lack of care for Santiago and the fact that he obviously was not mentally right places some moral liability in the hands of the FBI. Not to take away that yes Santiago pulled the trigger, though it seemed like he was indeed calling out for help when he turned himself into the FBI.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Sunday said the U.S. hasn’t done enough to help veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental issues, following the attack Santiago made at the Fort Lauderdale airport. It’s very sad that it takes the shadow of something so tragic to raise the issue of veterans’ mental health and medical care again back to national attention.
