A Southwest Airlines plane with passengers onboard at Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas was hit with a bullet on Friday night, according to airport authorities.
Police were called to reports of a shooting at 9:48 p.m. at 8008 Herb Keller Way. A preliminary investigation concluded a Southwest Airlines plane that had been preparing to take off was hit by one bullet, though no injuries were reported. The suspected shooter remains at large.
A Southwest Airlines (SWA) spokesperson told that a bullet “apparently struck the right side of the aircraft just under the flight deck, as the crew was preparing for takeoff.” The aircraft hit, Southwest Airlines flight 2494, then taxied back to the airport terminal.
The spokesperson added that the aircraft had been removed from service and said its passengers would be transported on a different flight. Southwest Airlines flight 2494 had been preparing to fly to Indianapolis from Dallas.
Both the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department responded to the incident. Newsweek contacted the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Love Field Airport by telephone and email on Saturday outside of regular office hours.
In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, Dallas Love Field Airport said: “On Friday night, Dallas police responded to a security incident involving a commercial aircraft at Dallas Love Field Airport.
“Runway 13R/31L was briefly closed but has since reopened. No injuries were reported, and there was minimal impact on airport operations. For more information, please contact the Dallas Police Department.”
Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire/AP
In a separate incident on Friday, a Southwest Airlines flight that had been preparing to leave Denver International Airport was evacuated after a small fire broke out caused by a passenger’s cellphone battery igniting.
According to the airline, during the evacuation one passenger sustained a minor injury, while the individual whose phone sparked the fire was treated for burns. The Boeing 737-700 had 800 passengers onboard, and was still parked at a gate, when the incident occurred. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said it will investigate the incident.
Southwest Airlines released a statement that said: “Southwest’s customer care team is working to accommodate the passengers on another aircraft to their original destination of Houston.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees. The incident remains under investigation.”
In July, the FAA launched an audit of Southwest Airlines following a number of safety incidents, including one in which an aircraft descended to just 150 feet above water while approaching Tampa International Airport in Florida.
Also in July, Southwest Airlines announced it was ending its open seating system, which it claimed would “elevate the Customer experience, improve financial performance, and drive Shareholder value.”
Separately, the FAA is investigating an incident that took place on Wednesday in which an American Airlines flight had to perform an “expedited climb” to avoid mountainous terrain in Hawaii.