Police shot a woman after she fired a gun inside Dallas Love Field Airport, sending travelers scattering.
The frightening shooting occurred on Monday morning and came during a time when the country remains on edge following back-to-back mass shootings. Authorities say 37-year-old Portia Odufuwa arrived at the airport at around 11:00 a.m. She quickly went into a bathroom near the Southwest Airlines ticket counter. The woman re-emerged wearing different clothing than what she arrived in and fired shots into the ceiling. As she fired the gun, she was yelling remarks about her marriage. One witness said Odufuwa mentioned that her husband was cheating on her. Another witness heard the woman rant about her spouse losing his job. An officer confronted Odufuwa at approximately 11:23 a.m. and shot her in her lower extremities. She was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Thankfully, no other injuries were reported.
Ironically, Odufuwa was arrested in 2019 for trying to rob a Bank of America in Wylie, Texas. Employees phoned police to report that Odufuwa handed a bank teller a note demanding money from her. She was ultimately charged with robbery for the incident. Odufuwa was found incompetent to stand trial, and the case was dismissed “in lieu of the civil commitment for mental health.”
Monday’s shooting halted flight operations for hours. Travelers were evacuated once the scene was cleared.
The FBI is now assisting Dallas police in the airport investigation.
