Bullet Strikes Southwest Aircraft at Dallas Love Field

Authorities reported that a Southwest Airlines flight, carrying passengers, sustained gunfire damage while preparing for takeoff at Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas. According to a Southwest spokesperson, who spoke to CBS News (the BBC’s US partner), Flight 2494 was preparing to depart for Indianapolis when “a bullet apparently struck the right side of the aircraft under the flight deck.” An airport spokesperson confirmed that no injuries occurred, and the plane subsequently returned to its gate, allowing passengers to disembark. The runway at the domestic airport experienced a temporary closure but has since resumed operations. Dallas police are currently spearheading the inquiry into the incident that occurred on Friday night. Officers from the department responded to calls regarding gunfire at 21:48 local time (03:48 GMT on Saturday), discovering upon arrival that the aircraft had been hit. In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the bullet impacted the Boeing 737-800 Max aircraft in the vicinity of the cockpit. While formal details regarding the incident’s circumstances have not been disclosed, local television station WFAA reported that law enforcement suspected the shooting stemmed from random gunfire. WFAA confirmed that 99 individuals were on board the flight. Southwest stated its intention to rebook all passengers on alternative flights. Earlier this week, three aircraft operating at the main airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, were hit by gunfire during either their landing or takeoff phases, amidst ongoing gang violence in the Caribbean country. These occurrences led the Federal Aviation Administration to impose a 30-day prohibition on US airlines conducting flights to Haiti.