A 37-year-old woman was taken into custody Monday after she fired multiple shots at Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas and was shot and wounded by a police officer, authorities said.
No other injuries were reported, police said, but the shooting sent passengers scrambling for cover and delayed several flights.
The woman was dropped off at the airport shortly before 11 a.m. and appeared to change in the restroom before exiting and opening fire inside the airport, Chief Eddie Garcia of the Dallas Police Department said at a news conference Monday afternoon.
A Dallas police officer at the airport shot her, hitting her “in the lower extremities,” and she was arrested and taken to a hospital, Chief Garcia said. Her condition was not immediately clear Monday afternoon.
It’s unclear who or what the woman was aiming for when she fired. Chief Garcia said the officer fired several shots at her after she started shooting.
In a later update, the police department identified the woman as Portia Odufuwa and said she fired a weapon several times in the ticket counter area of the airport.
Ms. Odufuwa was charged with falsely reporting a fire in Dallas County in April 2021. In June, a judge ruled that she was unable to consult an attorney and was incompetent to stand trial, but did not pose a danger to others. according to court records.
The judge ordered Ms. Odufuwa to attend “psychosocial counseling” and live in housing arranged by a health care provider.
Lanasha Darnell, 43, of Forney, Texas, who has worked at the airport since 2020, said she saw people running through the terminal.
“We have evacuation drills and where we have to go, but half way through it’s all out the window,” Ms Darnell said.
Travelers boarded shops and restaurants, hiding in kitchens and behind furniture. Joe Castronovo III, who was flying from Orlando, Fla., on business, said he got off the Jetway and walked into the terminal and “saw people running” as passengers scrambled for cover.
Mr. Castronovo’s father, Joe Castronovo Jr., arrived at the terminal to pick up his son as the chaotic scene unfolded.
“I pulled up and saw a woman screaming and running from the building,” said the elder Mr. Castronovo, of Highland Park, Texas. “We were afraid something was wrong. The workers were coming out and telling people to hide.
Chief Max Geron of the Rockwall, Texas, police department, east of Dallas, said on Twitter that Love Field had been evacuated “after an apparent shooting.”
“The family is safe,” he said. “TSA did a great job.”
A review of at least 433 active shooter attacks in the United States from 2000 to 2021 found that an officer shot or physically subdued the shooter in less than a third of the attacks.
Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, said on Twitter that his office was closely monitoring the situation.
“Thank you to all the first responders on the ground who are working to keep passengers safe,” Mr Buttigieg said.
The Transportation Security Administration is working to get passengers through security after the shooting, and there is no estimate of how long that will take, TSA spokeswoman Patricia Mancha said in a statement. More than 60 flights at Love Field were delayed after the shooting, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.
Love Field Airport said in a statement that the shooting prompted an evacuation and a shelter-in-place order while police responded.
The airport said on Twitter that its flights were suspended while the Dallas Police Department investigated, but later announced that operations had resumed. The airport still encouraged passengers to check with their airlines for flight information.
Alex Traub contributed reporting.
Add Comment