Reports of gunshots being fired at John F Kennedy Airport in NY triggered scenes of chaos before police confirmed there was no evidence of a shooting.
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911 calls came in around 9:30 p.m. Sunday reporting gunfire.
Port Authority police and NYPD officers moved in and combed both terminals in search of anyone with a weapon.
There are now no injuries, no arrests and no confirmation of shots fired. “Also, at about 10:15, Terminal 1 at JFK was closed after receipt of additional calls of shots fired”.
The chaotic evacuation might have been sparked by travelers who mistook cheering, clapping Olympics fans for gunfire, law enforcement officials told NBC 4 NY.
Hundreds of bags and suitcases were left behind as passengers ran out of the airport. A roadway heading into the airport was also shut down for a short time. But a search found no evidence of a gun being fired.
The Fire Department of New York, the Port Authority, the New York Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had all responded, as a precaution, NBC News reported.
It said the investigation was continuing.
Several flights were grounded in response to the incident, The Associated Press reported. Panic broke out both inside the terminals and outside the airport as police quickly reacted to what many eyewitnesses said sounded like gunshots.
“They told us nothing from the flight deck”, he said.
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Another Twitter video shows the police presence outside the airport.
