Shots Fired On American Airlines Flight At MIA
POSTED: 2:17 pm EST December 7, 2005
UPDATED: 3:28 pm EST December 7, 2005MIAMI -- A passenger who made a threat was shot on a jetway leading to an American Airlines plane that had arrived from Colombia during a struggle with a federal air marshal at Miami International Airport, officials said.
Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said after the plane had parked at the gate, a passenger indicated there was a bomb in the passenger's carryon bag. The passenger was confronted by air marshals but ran off the plane.
A team of air marshals pursued and ordered the passenger to get on the ground. The passenger complied, then was shot when apparently reaching into a bag, Doyle said.
The plane had just arrived from Colombia and was headed on to Orlando.
It was unclear whether the shot was fired during the course of a struggle between the marshal and the passenger or whether the marshal had fired the weapon to stop the passenger.
According to two law enforcement officials, the man was fatally shot.
Miami-Dade police had few details.
"We have had a shooting on this American Airlines plane," said Mary Walters, of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "The airplane appears to be secure. The officers, special response team, and fire rescue are on the scene. We're trying to get the details before we advise what has happened."
"I don't know yet if the passenger had been on the plane and was getting off, or was starting to board the aircraft," airlines spokesman Tim Wagner said.
According to American Airlines' Web site, Flight 924 arrived from Medellin, Colombia at 12:16 p.m. It was supposed to depart for Orlando at 2:18 p.m. The site said the flight status is delayed.
The plane was parked at Terminal D. Walters said she assumed the terminal was closed to passengers but that was not confirmed.
Passenger Says Man Was Frantic
Mary Gardner, a passenger on the Flight 924, told NBC 6 that she heard four to five shots fired. Gardner was a guest on NBC 6's South Florida Today show at 10 a.m. She spoke about inexpensive Christmas gifts.
Gardner called NBC 6 and said she was seated in the third row of the coach section of the aircraft. She saw a man run frantically through the aisle from the back of the plane to the first class area before the shots were fired.
She said a woman who was apparently traveling with the man was screaming, "My husband. My husband."
Gardner also said other passengers said they heard the lady say that her husband was bipolar and had not taken his medication.
Gardner said she was not sure if the shooting happened in the first class section of the airplane or outside on the jetway.
After the shooting, police boarded the plane and told passengers to put their hands on their head. Gardner said the passengers onboard remained calm and were later escorted off the plane and onto a bus.
No other injuries were reported.