SAN ANTONIO – A man who opened fire from a highway ramp and then at the San Antonio Airport was shot and killed by a park police officer at the airport on Thursday.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the man drove into the airport terminal going the wrong way at about 2:30 p.m. A park police officer who was working overtime at the airport confronted the man who immediately got out of his car and opened fire at the officer and the building, McManus said.
The officer returned fire and incapacitated the shooter.
The police chief credited the officer’s quick actions with saving lives.
“(The shooter) had a lot of ammunition and was shooting indiscriminately,” McManus said. “We’re lucky today not to have a lot of people injured or killed during this event.”
McManus said police were familiar with the man because of previous interactions and said the man had “mental issues.”
The suspect was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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An FBI spokesperson on the scene said the incident would be handled by police as a local investigation and said there was no federal connection at this point.
Two people were taken to the hospital for injuries suffered during the incident at the airport. One person may have been hit by shrapnel during the shooting, while a second person was injured while running away from the area during the gunfire, McManus said.
Earlier on Thursday, a shooter opened fire from a flyover overpass at Highway 281 and Loop 1604. Nobody was injured in that incident. McManus said they were confident that shooter was the same person in both cases.
An airport spokesperson said the FAA put a hold on arrivals and departures immediately following the shooting at the airport, but said the hold has been lifted and operations were starting to return to normal.
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The road on the lower level of the terminals used for passenger pickup is closed at this time. Airline passengers can be picked up from the airport at the upper level, which is the departure level, or passengers can utilize the tunnel and be picked up at the parking garage, the spokesperson said.
There is a confirmed officer-involved shooting at 9800 Airport Blvd. There is no active threat to the public. As a precaution, the Airport has been put on lock down. No other injuries are reported.
— San Antonio PD (@SATXPolice) April 15, 2021
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