Associated Press
Updated March 21, 2015 6:49 a.m. ET
KENNER, La.—The New Orleans airport concourse that became a scene of chaos when a machete-wielding man was shot by a sheriff’s lieutenant is open again and a spokeswoman says airport operations are normal.
Meanwhile, the suspect in the bizarre Friday night attack at New Orleans International Airport remained in serious condition Saturday morning.
Col. John Fortunato of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said investigators still don’t know the motive for the attack.
Sixty-two-year-old Richard White of Kenner is alleged to have approached a security checkpoint, where he sprayed agents and travelers with bug spray before drawing a machete from his waistband and chasing a security agent, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.
Mr. White began swinging the machete and a male TSA agent blocked it with a piece of luggage as Mr. White ran through a metal detector, Mr. Normand said.
After running through the detector, Mr. White was chasing a female TSA agent when Lt. Heather Slyve of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office drew her weapon. Mr. White continued to swing the machete as she approached, and she fired three rounds, striking him in the face, chest and leg, according to Mr. Normand.
A TSA agent also was struck in the arm by a bullet while running from Mr. White, authorities said, adding the agent’s wound wasn’t life-threatening.
Bystanders described minutes of panic and chaos at the airport in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner.
“Everyone was ducking for cover. It’s New Orleans. I knew they [the gunshots] were coming from the security checkpoint area,” said Garret Laborde, 31, a traveler trying to fly to Houston. “I immediately ducked down ... Then we waited.” He called the scene “instant chaos” with “screaming, lots of females screaming for a short period of time.”
Mr. Laborde said he remained down for several minutes. He said police then began rushing around the airport, telling everyone to duck and get back down, and that sirens went off and announcements could be heard for people to evacuate. He said the tension eased later and he was outside the airport when he saw a man being taken out on a stretcher.
Mr. Normand said investigators were trying to determine what Mr. White was doing at the airport. He said it didn’t appear that he was trying to get on a plane.
“At this point, we have only been able to determine that Richard White had a few minor arrests,” said a sheriff’s statement emailed early Saturday by agency spokesman Col. John N. Fortunato. He said authorities later found Mr. White’s car outside the terminal and searched it.
—Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
Updated March 21, 2015 6:49 a.m. ET
KENNER, La.—The New Orleans airport concourse that became a scene of chaos when a machete-wielding man was shot by a sheriff’s lieutenant is open again and a spokeswoman says airport operations are normal.
Meanwhile, the suspect in the bizarre Friday night attack at New Orleans International Airport remained in serious condition Saturday morning.
Col. John Fortunato of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said investigators still don’t know the motive for the attack.
Sixty-two-year-old Richard White of Kenner is alleged to have approached a security checkpoint, where he sprayed agents and travelers with bug spray before drawing a machete from his waistband and chasing a security agent, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.
Mr. White began swinging the machete and a male TSA agent blocked it with a piece of luggage as Mr. White ran through a metal detector, Mr. Normand said.
After running through the detector, Mr. White was chasing a female TSA agent when Lt. Heather Slyve of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office drew her weapon. Mr. White continued to swing the machete as she approached, and she fired three rounds, striking him in the face, chest and leg, according to Mr. Normand.
A TSA agent also was struck in the arm by a bullet while running from Mr. White, authorities said, adding the agent’s wound wasn’t life-threatening.
Bystanders described minutes of panic and chaos at the airport in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner.
“Everyone was ducking for cover. It’s New Orleans. I knew they [the gunshots] were coming from the security checkpoint area,” said Garret Laborde, 31, a traveler trying to fly to Houston. “I immediately ducked down ... Then we waited.” He called the scene “instant chaos” with “screaming, lots of females screaming for a short period of time.”
Mr. Laborde said he remained down for several minutes. He said police then began rushing around the airport, telling everyone to duck and get back down, and that sirens went off and announcements could be heard for people to evacuate. He said the tension eased later and he was outside the airport when he saw a man being taken out on a stretcher.
Mr. Normand said investigators were trying to determine what Mr. White was doing at the airport. He said it didn’t appear that he was trying to get on a plane.
“At this point, we have only been able to determine that Richard White had a few minor arrests,” said a sheriff’s statement emailed early Saturday by agency spokesman Col. John N. Fortunato. He said authorities later found Mr. White’s car outside the terminal and searched it.
—Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
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