Just flashed on the news moments ago a possible highjacking of a commercial airliner at Miami International Airport, Florida. There have apparently been shots fired by an air marshall onboard at the time, and at least one person has been taken away in an ambulance. Will post more as news comes to hand. There was mention of a bomb threat.
Update from FoxNews 2:45pm :
Miami - Shots were fired Wednesday on board an American Airlines jet that had landed at Miami International Airport, and at least one person was wounded, according to broadcast reports.The plane had just arrived from Colombia and was headed to Orlando. Television images from the scene show armed officers taking up positions around the plane.
Worth noting - the stock market has started to drop.
Update 3:20pm : more updates from FoxNews.. might be a nutcase..
A federal air marshal fired his weapon at an American Airlines passenger after claiming to have a bomb in his or her bag and running off of the plane, Homeland Security told FOX News. The marshal pursued and tackled the suspect on the tarmac after the individual reached into his or her bag. American Airlines flight 924 was arriving in Miami-Dade International Airport on Wednesday when the incident occurred. "The conditions [that would warrant an air marshal to fire his or her weapon] ought to be one where he has identified a threat to security" on the flight, Ron Goldman, aviation attorney and pilot, told FOX News. "We don't know if this was an accidental shooting," he said. Details surrounding the incident were not immediately clear, but footage showed medical personnel boarding American Airlines flight 924 with a stretcher and around 25 to 30 police vehicles on the scene. Sources told FOX News the person may have been 'unbalanced'.
Hmm.. if the passenger making the bombthreats was taken out on the tarmac (outside the plane in other words), it would seem that someone else must have been shot inside since thats where the medical personnel went with the stretcher..
Update 3:40pm : NYTimes has a bit more news..
Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said after the plane had parked at the gate, a passenger indicated there was a bomb in their bag. The passenger was confronted by air marshals but ran off the plane, Doyle said. A team of air marshals pursued and ordered the passenger to get on the ground. The passenger complied, but was then shot while apparently trying to reach into the bag, Doyle said. American Airlines officials confirmed the shooting was on a jetway (the little bridge between the jet and the terminal).
The flight was American Airlines FLT 924 departing Miami for Orlando (after arriving from Colombia).
Update 4:00pm : Latest news is that the passenger making the bomb threat, a 44-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot dead. A witness said that the man frantically ran down the aisle of the Boeing 757, his arms flailing in the air, and that a woman followed, shouting, "My husband! My husband!" The passenger, who indicated there was a bomb in the bag, was confronted by air marshals but ran off the aircraft. The marshals pursued and ordered the passenger to get on the ground, but the man did not comply and was shot when apparently reaching into the bag. Authorities did not immediately say whether any bomb was found. Another passenger said she heard the woman say her husband was bipolar and had not had his medication.
