Dallas Love Field shooting suspect shot by police, no one else injured Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:00) A woman shot by police at Love Field today had several interactions with police and several arrests. Heather Hays: (00:05) That includes arrests for robbery and arson and mental health evaluations. Police say 37-year-old Portia Odufuwa was dropped off at the airport late this morning, went to a bathroom, changed clothing, then came out with a gun and started firing. Police officers immediately fired at her and struck her. No travelers were hurt. Fox4 Peyton Yager spoke to some folks who were there and forced to evacuate after the shooting and some now who are scrambling to get their travel plans back on track. Peyton. Peyton Yager: (00:33) Yeah, Heather, we have been following this all day. Passengers who were past security had to evacuate when the shooting happened and then be rescreened by security. Then later on today there was a ground stop, so thousands of cancellations across the country for Southwest, which we know is a huge hub here. The ticket counter behind me, this was blocked off earlier today with investigators on the scene. It has since opened up and we are learning more about the woman who opened fire here at the ticket counter at Love Field and her previous run ins with law enforcement. Speaker 4: (01:11) [inaudible 00:01:11]. Stay down. Stay down. Peyton Yager: (01:15) Gunshots at the Dallas Love Field Southwest Airlines ticket counter caused panicked passengers to drop to the floor. Ashley Wycoff: (01:24) Pop, pop in the air. All I can do is run. Peyton Yager: (01:27) Dallas police say 37-year-old Portia Odufuwa opened fire shortly after she was dropped off at the airport, just before 11:00 AM. This is a previous mugshot of Odufuwa from 2019 when she was charged with robbing a bank in Wylie. Monday, witnesses told police Odufuwa went to the restroom, put on a hoodie and came back out holding a handgun. Chief Eddie Garcia: (01:49) We don't know where exactly the individual was aiming. The most out we're seeing now, she was aiming at the ceiling. Peyton Yager: (01:57) A Dallas police officer then shot Odufuwa in the leg. Cell phone video shows first responders offering first aid before Odufuwa was taken to Parkland Hospital. No others were injured and police not releasing a motive. Ashley Wycoff says moments before multiple shots were fired, she heard Odufuwa mumble terrifying words. Ashley Wycoff: (02:19) She's making an announcements saying somebody failed her husband or something and it's like, "I'm about to blow this place up." Peyton Yager: (02:30) Past security passengers took cover while waiting to board. Johnny Mojica: (02:34) There was a group of people just really running for their lives and was just kind of shouting, "Run, run, run." Peyton Yager: (02:40) Once it was clear, TSA told all Love Field passengers they must be rescreened by security. Johnny Mojica: (02:46) They just told us to evacuate the building. Peyton Yager: (02:49) Others were told to stay outside near the tarmac. After an afternoon ground stop, Love Field resumed operations hours later with law enforcement still on scene. Curtains block the Southwest Airline's terminal as FBI agents used a scissor lift to investigate the ceiling. Peyton Yager: (03:07) Odufuwa is known to law enforcement. Here's a mugshot from a 2021 arrest. The 37 year old arrested multiple times on charges including bank robbery, arson and making a false report of a fire. In the affidavit from a 2019 arson case, she's quoted telling police she was a prophet of God. There is history of mental health evaluations following her arrests. Peyton Yager: (03:33) Meanwhile, thousands were stranded following Monday's shooting. More than 1,300 Southwest flights were delayed and nearly 300 Southwest flights canceled. Karen Cousins and her son Kendrick rushed to DFW International Airport to try to get home to Atlanta. Karen Cousins: (03:51) But to actually be facing it in here where it actually happened, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it." Peyton Yager: (03:57) Over in baggage claim, a mother-daughter reunion. Charli Pierrlouis' daughter, Charlotte, was an unaccompanied minor flying in from Phoenix. The 10 year old's flight was diverted to Lubbock before safely landing in Dallas. Charli Pierrelouis: (04:12) Eating for that Texas message to come through, it was the longest... It was like an hour of my life. Peyton Yager: (04:19) According to court records, Odufuwa was determined to be incompetent to stand trial. She was then ordered to a mental health program, but she never finished, and it's still unclear why.