Woman fires gun into ceiling at Dallas Love Field airport and is shot by officer, police say
A woman opened fire inside Dallas Love Field on Monday before responding police shot her and brought the incident to an end before any bystanders could be wounded, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as Portia Odufuwa, 37, was dropped off at about 10:59 a.m. CT, went into the terminal and ducked into a restroom near the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia told reporters.
Odufuwa is alleged to have come out in different clothing, possibly a hoodie, and opened fire.
"She produces a handgun and begins firing," Garcia said. "The most we were seeing now, she was aiming at the ceiling."
An officer shot the woman in the "lower extremities," and she was taken to Parkland Hospital, Garcia said, adding that she was the only person to be wounded.
Witness Colby James, 33, a machinist from St. Martinville, Louisiana, said the shooter was wearing a black hoodie and began ranting that she was married to a celebrity who was being unfaithful to her.
“She said he was cheating and she was going to ‘blow the place up,’” James said. “Everybody just took off in separate directions. Everyone just tried to get away from her. There was a lot of screaming.”
Local resident Johnny Mojica, 29, was sitting near his gate when dozens of people ran by, shouting, "Run, run, run!"
He and his fellow travelers hit the floor or took cover. There was no announcement over the public address system, which added more terrifying uncertainty, Mojica said.
“It was a really scary experience, something that you would not think would happen at an airport," he said. "Beside me, someone was almost hyperventilating, crying. It was a really scary, terrifying moment.”
Even though his flight to San Antonio was re-booked, Mojica called it a day.
“This morning was too much, so I’m going to go home and try again tomorrow," he said. "It was a lot for one day.”
Kristi Godden, 42, of Austin, was at her gate when saw people running and knew exactly what was happening.
"Normally if you see a bunch of people running by, you think they’re late for their flight. It was just this automatic feeling. You knew it was a shooting," she said.
"In this world, that’s just the automatic response. If they’re screaming, that means you better get down and hide. I was shaking. I called my husband to tell him I’m hiding. I don’t think anybody truly feels safe anymore, anywhere."
And Ralph Pici, 55, described the “absolute chaos” that unfolded when gunfire erupted.
“People diving for cover, hurdling retail counters, hiding in every spot," he said. "Bags, phones, computers everywhere left behind. It was surreal.”
Love Field, the smaller of the Dallas-Fort Worth area's two major airports, is a favorite of residents for its convenience, just 10 miles out of downtown Dallas.
Nearly 17 million passengers traveled through Love Field in 2019, and administrators hope to get back to that level of activity by the end of this year, airport spokeswoman Lauren Rounds said.
The incident scrambled operations throughout the airport, which warned that “passengers should refrain from coming to Dallas Love Field.”
Data collected by Houston-based FlightAware showed a flight leaving Love Field at 11:22 am. and another one at 11:37 a.m. before a half-hour gap with no departures, as the next plane didn't take off until 12:09 p.m.
