An airman assigned to JB San Antonio, Texas, was shot and injured in the Jan. 6 shooting at the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., airport. SMSgt. Christopher B. Prather is recovering at a Florida hospital following the incident. Prather is an Active Duty member assigned to the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center at the base, where he is a vehicle maintenance major command functional manager, the center said in a statement. On Friday, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former Army National Guard soldier and Iraq War veteran, opened fire at the airport’s baggage claim area, killing five and wounding six before surrendering to police. Santiago appeared in court on Monday, where he is facing three charges, two of which carry the possibility of the death penalty, CNN reported.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
