“There seems little doubt that Santiago suffered from some mental distress. But failing to address the psychiatric drugs that he may have been prescribed is a disservice to his victims.”

By Kelly Patricia O’Meara
Published by CCHR International
The Mental Health Industry Watchdog
January 11, 2017

Sadly the public continues to be the victims of the same deadly scenario: a military veteran, receiving psychiatric treatment, inexplicably goes on a shooting rampage. This time Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport became the scene of a cold-blooded killing field, carried out by 26-year-old veteran Esteban Ruiz Santiago, leaving five dead and six wounded.[1]

Despite an abundance of information about Santiago’s mental health history having been publicly released, nearly a week after the January 6^th deliberate, calculated attack, the public has yet to be made aware of the psychiatric drugs Santiago may have been provided during his military service, or in response to the mental health treatment he reportedly received in Alaska just months prior to the shooting.[2] Why?

Given the known serious adverse reactions associated with psychiatric drugs, such as those now prescribed for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety, is it not time for the psychiatric drug history of these perpetrators be the first question asked by law enforcement? Undoubtedly, the recent history of veteran shootings supports public disclosure. For example, the following are just a few cases of prescription psychiatric drug use among military/veterans shooters:

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana – July 17, 2016: Former Marine Gavin Long, age 29, went on a shooting rampage, killing three law enforcement officers and wounding three others before being killed by a SWAT team officer. Long told friends he had post-traumatic stress disorder. CNN reported that Long had filled a prescription for Ativan, an anti-anxiety drug, as recently as June, and also had prescriptions for Valium (also an anti-anxiety drug) and the sedative Lunesta.[3]

• Montgomery County, Pennsylvania – December 15, 2014: Iraq War veteran Bradley Stone, 35, killed his ex-wife, her mother, grandmother and sister, the sister’s husband and 14-year-old daughter, before committing suicide. According to the Medical Examiner, Stone had both the antidepressant trazodone and the antipsychotic risperidone in his system at the time of his death. Just one week prior to the murders, Stone had seen his Veterans Affairs psychiatrist, whose evaluation stated Stone had no suicidal or homicidal ideation.[4]

• Fort Hood, Texas – April 2, 2014: Army Specialist Ivan Lopez opened fire at Fort Hood military base, killing three people and wounding 16 others before taking his own life. He had been prescribed Ambien, antidepressants and other medications to treat anxiety and depression. Lopez had also been examined by a psychiatrist within the month prior to the shooting and was being evaluated for PTSD.[5]

• Washington, DC – September 17, 2013: Aaron Alexis, a Navy contractor, opened fire inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 and wounding eight others before he was killed by police. Alexis had received prescriptions from two Veterans Administration hospitals in August 2013 for the antidepressant trazodone.[6]

Ft. Lauderdale shooter, Santiago, appears to fit the psychiatric drug profile. What is known is that Santiago joined the Puerto Rico National Guard in 2007, deployed to Iraq in 2010 and, upon returning home, was “not okay,” according to his aunt. He was also apparently experiencing trouble controlling his anger and even told his brother that he was being chased and controlled by the CIA through secret online messages.[7]

After returning from Iraq, he served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard. A Guard spokesperson reported that he was discharged for “unsatisfactory performance.” The Pentagon reported that Santiago had been AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged. By January of 2016, Santiago was charged with domestic violence in Anchorage, Alaska where he had been living.[8] In August of last year, Santiago told his brother that he was hearing voices and felt that he was being chased.[9]

Finally, in November of 2016, Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage, complaining that his mind was being controlled by a U.S. Intelligence agency. The FBI referred Santiago for a mental health evaluation. Santiago’s gun was taken by the FBI only to be returned one month prior to the shooting.[10] Santiago’s mental health evaluation lasted four days.[11]

The deadly serious question, of course, is was Santiago prescribed any psychiatric drugs while in the military? Moreover, was he taking any psychiatric drugs after his release from military service or during his four day “evaluation” in December?

There no longer is any question about violence associated with psychiatric drug use. One in six American service members take at least one psychiatric drug and 80 percent of veterans diagnosed with PTSD were given psychiatric drugs and, of those, 89 percent were treated with antidepressants. It should be noted, again, that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed its most serious “black box” warning on antidepressants for causing suicidality for those younger than 25. Other serious side effects associated with antidepressants include hostility, anxiety, mania and abnormal thoughts, to name just a few.

There seems little doubt that Santiago suffered from some mental distress. But failing to address the psychiatric drugs that he may have been prescribed is a disservice to his victims. Understanding whether psychiatric drugs played a role in Santiago’s actions does not excuse the deadly behavior, but it may help understand what drove him to carry out such a murderous act.

References:

[1] Corky Siemaszko and Tracy Connor, “Suspected Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooter Charged, Faces Possible Death Penalty,” NBC News, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/07/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-esteban-santiago-said-he-heard-voices-officials.html.

[2] Corky Siemaszko and Tracy Connor, “Suspected Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooter Charged, Faces Possible Death Penalty,” NBC News, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/07/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-esteban-santiago-said-he-heard-voices-officials.html.

[3] Steve Visser, “Baton Rouge shooting: 3 officers dead; shooter was Missouri man, sources say,” CNN, 18 Jul 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/17/us/batonroutepoliceshooting/; Joshua Berlinger and Jason Hanna, “Gavin Long said he suffered from PTSD, source tells CNN,” CNN, 20 Jul 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/20/health/gavinlongptsdbatonrouge/.

[4] Ralph Ellis, Susan Candiotti and Ashely Fantz, “Police in Pa. search for man suspected of killing ex-wife, 5 former in-laws,” CNN, 15 Dec 2014, www.cnn.com/2014/12/15/us/pennsylvania-shootings/; Jacqueline Klimas, “Bradley Stone cleared by Veterans Affairs doctor one week before murders, suicide,” Washington Times, 17 Dec 2014, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/17/bradleystoneclearedveteransaffairsdoctorone/; Dan Stamm and Vince Lattanzio, “Montgomery County Spree Killer Bradley Stone Dies of Drug Overdose: ME,” NBC 10 Philadelphia, 24 Dec 2014, http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/BradleyStoneDeathOverdoseReport286716351.html.

[5] David Montgomery, Manny Fernandez and Ashley Southall, “Fort Hood Gunman Was Being Treated for Depression,” The New York Times, 3 Apr 2014; Ben Brumfield, Tom Watkins and Josh Rubin, “Fort Hood shooting spree: ‘Texans’ hearts are once again very heavy,’” CNN, 3 Apr 2014.

[6] Trip Gabriel, Joseph Goldstein and Michael S. Schmidt, “Suspect’s Past Fell Just Short of Raising Alarm,” The New York Times, 17 Sept 2013.

[7] “Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect’s brother says U.S. gov’t failed him,” CBS News, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-brother-us-government-failed-him/; Corky Siemaszko and Tracy Connor, “Suspected Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooter Charged, Faces Possible Death Penalty,” NBC News, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/07/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-esteban-santiago-said-he-heard-voices-officials.html.

[8] “Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect’s brother says U.S. gov’t failed him,” CBS News, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-brother-us-government-failed-him/.

[9] Danica Coto, “Esteban Santiago, Florida Airport Shooter, Was Mentally Ill After Service In Iraq: Family,” The Canadian Press, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/01/07/esteban-santiago_n_14021620.html.

[10] Corky Siemaszko and Tracy Connor, “Suspected Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooter Charged, Faces Possible Death Penalty,” NBC News, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/07/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-esteban-santiago-said-he-heard-voices-officials.html.

[11] “Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect’s brother says U.S. gov’t failed him,” CBS News, 7 Jan 2017, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-brother-us-government-failed-him/.