People waiting for flights out of Terminal 8 were evacuated from the airport shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to the Port Authority, and a separate report of gunshots prompted an evacuation of Terminal 1 around 10:15.
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Cell phone video from inside JFK Airport Sunday night shows fear spreading through the terminals when police responded to reports of an active shooter around 9:30 p.m.
Armed officers evacuating JFK on Sunday night (screenshot via).
Videos and photos showed people cowering behind chairs and running across a road to escape the evacuated terminals, but investigators determined there were no guns or ammunition involved at the NY airport. NBC News reported that “cheering, clapping and banging from people watching the Olympic Games may have been misinterpreted as a fight and gunshots”.
Officials at the Port Authority of NY and New Jersey, which operates the airport, have initially deemed the response as appropriate given the perceived threat of a gunman shooting at an airport teeming with travelers.
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey said a preliminary investigation later indicated there were no shots fired at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Witnesses reported hearing two shots in the terminal but no police officers reported any suspicious activity. A highway approaching the airport also was shut down. Travellers should contact their carriers. During the time of the shutdown, police went through every corner of the packed American Airlines terminal searching for evidence of a gun, a victim or bullets.
According to social media reports, airport staff and police did not clarify why the evacuation was necessary.
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One traveler who was in the airport at the time and heard the shots said there was no way he mistook cheering for gunfire.
