The Lebanese-American FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein following his capture is now in charge of the investigation into the Florida airport shooting, the Associated Press reported.
The shooting rampage at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is blamed on an Iraq war veteran who claimed the American government was controlling his mind.
George Piro, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, is a Beirut native and served as a high-level envoy answering directly to then-President George W. Bush.
The airport shooting left five dead and six wounded. The alleged shooter, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, has been charged with airport violence and firearms offenses that could have him facing the death penalty.
Santiago served in Iraq in 2010 and with the Puerto Rico National Guard, later serving in the Army Reserves and Alaska National Guard.
"I want to ensure these families that law enforcement is working tirelessly in order to ensure justice is served," Piro said when announcing the charges filed Saturday.
Piro has been careful to say that no evidence has yet been found linking Santiago to "terrorism," but also had not been ruled out.
"It's way too early in the investigation. We're looking over all of his social media, things like that. It's giving us a picture of the individual, but it's way too early for us to rule out anything," Piro told reporters Saturday. "We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack."
