loeffler. i can talk to you about the federal laws. loeffler. i can talk to you about the federal laws. loeffler. i can talk to you about the federal laws. >>> i am freaking out.en loeffl. i can talk to you about the federal laws. >>> i am freaking out. there is a federal law, but the law requires that the person be, quote, adjudicated mentally ill, which is a difficult standard. i don't want to go into all of the details. but as far as i know, there was -- this is not somebody that would have been prohibited. i think law enforcement acted within the laws. absent the law, under federal law, there wouldn't have been basis that i'm aware of. >> i'm wondering if the search was connected to the investigation? >> we have conducted two searches locally. and both of those searches were known residences where the subject had stayed. >> so that would be --- [ inaudible ] >> yes. so the primary concern safety and well-being and making sure no one in anchor raage is at fi rurt. that's what we have been doing the past 28 hours. there has been complete coord

karen loeffler is the u.s. attorney for the district of alaska. >> there is a federal law with regard to having a gun by somebody who is mentally ill, but the law requires that the person be "adjudicated mentally ill." this is not somebody that would have been prohibited based on the information they had that law enforcement acted within the laws that they had. >> reporter: david weinstein is a former federal prosecutor. was enough done with this guy? >> my gut tells me that they didn't go quite enough. they should have dug a little ot deeper to find out exactly what was going on inside his thad when he gave them the gun and then when he asked for it back. >> reporter: in court today, santiago said he spent the last few years in anchorage, alaska, working as a security guard. scott, prosecutors say he confessed to planning this y tack and apparently chose fort lauderdale at random. >> pelley: david begnaud for us in fort lauderdale. david, thank you. well, in orlando, the police department badly shaken by the e

district attorney karen loeffler. >> there is a federal law with regard to having a gun by somebody who is mentally ill. but the law requires that the person be quote adjudicated mentally ill, which is a difficult standard. >> reporter: in puerto rico santiago's mother elizabeth ruiz said her son sounded strange in their last phone call less than two weeks ago. >> i'm feeling like don't know, scream, cry, she said. because since he was so far away, i could not do anything. >> santiago allegedly confessed to planning the airport attack. and apparently chose forted lauderdale at random. a portion of the baggage claim area where the shooting happened has been reopened but curtains now shield people from seeing the crime scene, a mass shooting at a major u.s. airport. federal prosecutors say the gunman aimed at the head of each of his victims. and he stopped shooting only when he ran out of bullets and then dropped the gun on the ground. elaine, will face a judge tomorrow morning. he could the death penalty. >> quijano: david begnaud, thank you. tonight omar villafranca tells us more about

karen loeffler is the u.s. attorney for the district of alaska. >> there is a federal law with regard to having a gun by somebody who is mentally ill, but the law requires that the person be "adjudicated mentally ill." this is not somebody that would have been prohibited based on the information they had that law enforcement acted within the laws that they had. >> reporter: david weinstein is a former federal prosecutor. was enough done with this guy? >> my gut tells me that they didn't go quite enough. they should have dug a little bit deeper to find out exactly what was going on inside his head when he gave them the gun and then when he asked for it back. >> reporter: in court today, santiago said he spent the last few years in anchorage, alaska, working as a security guard. scott, prosecutors say he confessed to planning this attack and apparently chose fort lauderdale at random. >> david begnaud for us in fort lauderdale. david, thank you. >>> well, in orlando, the police department badly shaken by the mass

attorney, karen loeffler, i'm the u.s. attorney for the district of alaska. i'm sorry?about the federal laws. obviously law enforcement operates within the statutes that are given to them. there is a federal law with regard to having a gun by somebody who is mentally ill. but the law requires that the person be quote adjudicated mentally ill. which is a difficult standard. i don't want to go into all of the details. as far as i know, there was, this is not somebody that would have been prohibited based on the information that they have. i think that law enforcement acted within the laws that they have. we're a country of laws and they operate within them. absent a law allowing them to keep the gun, i'm not a city attorney but under federal law there wouldn't have been a basis that i'm aware of. i'm wondering if the storage was conducted to the investigation? >> we've conducted two searches locally. and both of those searches were known residence where the subject had stayed. that would be the medford street and the kubiak or however you say it? >> yes. >> as you can ima