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A man allegedly fired five shots in the check-in area of Canberra Airport departures on Sunday afternoon before police detained the suspect.
Nobody was injured in the incident, and authorities later confirmed the firearm was unloaded at glass rather than passengers in the terminal.
An ABC reporter at the airport said the scene was “terrifying” as passengers screamed “run” and hid for cover.
ACT Policing Detective Acting Superintendent Dave Craft said the man entered the airport at 1:30 pm and sat near the glass windows of the departures check-in area.
“After approximately five minutes, this male has removed the firearm from his possession and let off approximately five rounds,” he said.
“From what I can see from the crime scene, the male has let the shots off at the glass within the terminal.
“There were no shots directed at people … customers or staff.”
Reporter Lily Thomson told the ABC, “I saw this grandma with a baby and the fear in her face and I knew it was something serious.
“So we all ran, and I stayed with that grandma and her baby and hid behind an information desk. We stayed there for a couple of minutes until security told us to evacuate out to the car park.
“Everyone was hiding behind chairs, and people were running.
“It was terrifying. We didn’t know what was going on. The look on people’s faces was quite terrifying.”
Aircraft were grounded as police swept the area, with reports later suggesting the suspect will appear in court on Monday.
“Police have processed the crime scene,” said Acting Superintendent Craft.
“I just need to reassure people that the airport is safe, that ACT Policing has responded, and there is no ongoing threat to the community or to passengers who are arriving and departing.”
More to come…
