Gunman killing 5 at Florida airport gets 5 life sentences

The gunman who killed five and wounded six at an airport in U.S. southeastern state of Florida in January last year was on Friday sentenced to five consecutive life prison terms for the five deaths and an additional 120 years for the six people he wounded.

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom accepted a plea deal in which Esteban Santiago, 28, agreed to admit to the shooting if prosecutors would not seek the death penalty, local media reported.

The Alaska man arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with a one-way ticket. He took out a box containing a handgun from checked luggage, loaded the gun in a restroom and came out firing 15 shots at the baggage area.

"You destroyed families in this senseless attack," the judge said, calling the rampage "85 seconds of evil".

Santiago did not speak in court Friday and no family members spoke on his behalf, according to media reports.

The gunman, an Iraq war veteran, was diagnosed after the shooting as schizophrenic but was found competent to understand legal proceedings.