An Alaska man charged with killing five people and wounding six in a Florida airport mass shooting has stopped taking anti-psychotic medication to treat schizophrenia but remains mentally competent to stand trial, his lawyers told a judge Thursday. Esteban Santiago, 27, stopped taking the drug Haldol about three weeks ago because of side effects including painful muscle contractions, public defender Eric Cohen said. The Justice Department may seek the death penalty in a trial currently set for January 2018. The Justice Department decision on whether to seek the death penalty could be delayed by Hurricane Maria. Many of Santiago's relatives live in storm-slammed Puerto Rico, where he grew up, and there are also records on the island the defense seeks to bolster its case against the death penalty, Cohen said.

Source: ABC News September 28, 2017 08:03 UTC