Man killed at airport after firing shot in air

HOUSTON — A man who fired a gun inside a ticketing area at Houston’s largest airport was killed after being confronted by a law enforcement official Thursday during an incident that sent people in the terminal scrambling and screaming.

It’s unclear if the man fatally shot himself or was killed by a Homeland Security agent who confronted him. The man’s name was not released by police, but they said he was about 30 years old.

Police say the man walked into the ticketing area in Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport around 1:35 p.m. and fired at least one shot in the air. The agent, who was in his office, came out and confronted the man, telling him to drop his weapon.

“The suspect then turned toward the special agent. The special agent, fearing for his safety and all the passengers in the terminal, discharged his weapon at the same time it appears the suspect may have shot himself,” Smith said. The man died at the scene. Police would not say what kind of weapon the man had.

The terminal was closed immediately after the shooting. But later Thursday, parts of the terminal were reopened to passengers. The rest of the airport remained open after the shooting.

Greg Newburn, who was in the terminal waiting for a flight to Oklahoma City, said he was sitting in a cafe when he heard two gunshots and after a pause, several more.

“It seemed like quite a few shots. Everyone was scrambling, running left and running right, turning tables up and hiding behind tables. Nobody knew what was happening,” he said.