Armed Incident at Miami Airport: Suspect Detained
A large-scale police response was launched at Miami International Airport in Florida on Wednesday, September 23, following reports of gunfire. Several entrances and a section of the roadway on the departures level were temporarily closed, with vehicle traffic redirected to the arrivals level.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the airport at around 4:00 p.m. Investigators determined that 31-year-old Francisco Ivan Mendiola had fired four shots toward the terminal. Three bullets reportedly struck a metal trash can, while another hit the windshield of an unoccupied parked vehicle.
Mendiola was taken into custody by law enforcement officers in the short-term parking area. Authorities said no passengers or airport employees were injured and there was no ongoing threat to the public.
The departures-level roadway and affected areas were reopened within approximately two hours, and airport officials said operations had returned to normal.
