Reports of shots fired in Terminal 8 trigger security alert, with flights diverted away from New York airport or grounded

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Two terminals at John F Kennedy airport are resuming normal operations after reports of shots fired caused chaos for travellers as people were evacuated and fights were grounded or diverted.

The reports were later determined to be unfounded and the New York airport was given the all-clear.

Port Authority police said they received reports of shots fired at Terminal 8 near the departures area at about 9.30pm on Sunday (1.30am BST). Police said they closed Terminal 1 following additional reports of shots fired.

However, in a briefing early on Monday, Joe Pentangelo, a Port Authority spokesman, said: “At this time, no firearm, rounds, shell casings or other evidence of shots fired has been found.”

The New York police department’s head of special operations tweeted that nothing suspicious had been found in a search of the terminals.



NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) JFK UPDATE: All terminals searched & cleared. Negative results. All affected terminals will resume operations shortly. No shots were fired.

A senior law enforcement official told NBC the security alert had been triggered when a woman coming off a plane reported hearing gunshots in Terminal 8.

One official said the noise could have been cheering and banging while passengers watched the Olympics.

Alex Johnson (@MAlexJohnson) Official tells @NBCNews the JFK "gunfire" MAY have been people clapping and banging while watching the Olympics. https://t.co/dodSZe4dzF

The security alert led to travel chaos for thousands. The Federal Aviation Administration announced a “full ground stop” on all air traffic arriving at JFK until 11.30pm. Some flights were diverted and tracking website Flightradar said delays in the area were increasing.

Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) Delays growing as authorities resolve situation at JFK. Some inbound flights diverting. https://t.co/IDw48RS9RX pic.twitter.com/ysjDTQY85a

Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) Aircraft movement in terminal areas starting up again. It will take all night to get JFK back up & running at 100%. https://t.co/Nu60PhCxND

An expressway approaching JFK also was shut down. Passengers were allowed back into some terminals and flights began departing again at about midnight.

Images posted on social media during the evacuation showed scores of people standing outside the terminals.

Robbie Rob (@locodoggy) Everyone is being kicked out of the terminal. Police on alert! #JFK pic.twitter.com/0r5WSdkFeC

bipashaghosh (@bghosh) The scene outside Terminal 8 #JFK. Airport shooting. pic.twitter.com/W5dce6XRSG

Travellers who had been evacuated said police told them it was “not safe” to stay inside.

Dan Archer (@archcomix) Panic at jfk theyre closing the gates at security-possible shooter pic.twitter.com/OJUIFaenEI

Dan Archer (@archcomix) Police won't say anything except "it's not safe to stay here" as we leave terminal 8

People inside Terminal 8 described panic when the evacuation order was given.

Justin D. Martin (@Justin_D_Martin) I tried to grab my belongings but when TSA security took off sprinting I left everything.

One passenger onboard a plane that had landed at JFK said the aircraft was being held on the tarmac due to an emergency.

Jared Malsin (@jmalsin) JFK: Pilot on this British Airways flight says an "emergency in another part of the airport." Been waiting to disembark for 1.5 hours.

Jared Malsin (@jmalsin) JFK: Captain tells us it "might be some time" before we disembark due to an "incident that is occurring" in the airport.

JFK, which has six terminals – two have previously been demolished – is the busiest international air passenger gateway into the US. More than 53 million people travelled through the airport in 2014.

Associated Press contributed to this report