The man, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924, was confronted by two air marshals shortly after noon today after he announced he had a bomb in his bag. According to Brian Doyle, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security, the man fled the aircraft, and was pursued down the gateway by a the air marshals. They ordered him to get down on the ground. When he refused and reached into his luggage, one of the air marshals fired on him.
The air marshals did not find a bomb, and officials say the incident seemed to stem from a domestic altercation. A passenger, Mary Doyle, told Miami's NBC 6 news channel that the man's wife, who was on the plane, said he suffered from bipolar disorder and had not taken his medication.
Gardner told NBC 6 that following the shooting, air marshals boarded the plane and told the passengers to remain in their seats and place their hands on their heads. In an interview, Gardner said, "They wouldn't let you move. They wouldn't let you get anything out of your bag.'"
According to Doyle, this is the first time an air marshal has fired a weapon on or near a plane.
No further information is available at this time.
