Fort Lauderdale suspect canceled New Year's Eve trip to NYC, ABC News reports

ByBRIAN ROSS, RHONDA SCHWARTZ, and JOSH MARGOLIN ABC logo
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Steve Campion speaks to ABC News about landing in Ft. Lauderdale
Steve Campion speaks to ABC News about landing in Ft. Lauderdale to news of the airport shooting.

NEW YORK CITY -- Airport shooting suspect Esteban Santiago's initial destination may not have been Fort Lauderdale, but New York City, where he had made a reservation to fly in on New Year's Eve, authorities told ABC News.

But for some unknown reason, he canceled the flight. A few days later, he booked a one-way $278 ticket to Florida.

New York City counterterrorism officials are investigating Santiago's plan to visit the city, and whether he planned to stay in New York or transfer to another flight.

Officials believe that the highly visible presence of NYPD officers throughout the city on New Year's Eve could have been an effective deterrent.

Read the full story from ABC News