Posted on: August 14, 2022, 08:42h.
Last updated on: August 14, 2022, 09:11h.
A mass panic over an active shooter erupted at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. The shooter turned out to be a loud noise that sent hundreds of travelers scurrying for their lives through TSA checkpoints. No injuries were reported.
“FALSE ALARM,” the airport’s Twitter account posted at 6 a.m. “There is no threat at the airport. A loud noise has caused panic at Harry Reid International Airport this morning, and created a security incident. We appreciate the patience of those traveling today as operations are in the process of returning to normal.”
According to an earlier deleted Tweet from the airport: “The noise is believed to have been caused by an unruly subject. That person is currently in custody.”
Dramatic user-posted videos showed terrified passengers scurrying from the gates toward exits. Other reports said others abandoned their bags and rushed in the other direction: through TSA checkpoints, where security did not stop them, and toward the gates.
Social Upheaval
Panic over the initial loud noise was amplified by dozens of Twitter and Facebook users appearing to confirm the false rumor.
Tweeted Joe Hall at 4:50 a.m.: “I’m at the Las Vegas Airport. All flights stopped. Active shooter at TSA.”
Tweeted Byron at 4:57: “Hearing there’s been a shooting at Las Vegas International Airport. No flights are boarding.”
The airport tweeted to “expect delays” as all passengers were cleared from the terminal and re-screened at security checkpoints.
Airport Panics Now a Thing
Airport shooting panics are becoming an unfortunate feature of modern existence. A similar panic erupted at Harry Reid in April 2022, after several loud bangs were caused by a vaping device that overheated and exploded while being charged in a terminal. Also in April, dozens fled Boston Logan Airport in a panic over a suspicious package that turned out to be a Playstation video game console.
