Woman opens fire in Dallas airport, shot and wounded by police, authorities say

The women was wearing a hooded sweatshirt or some other clothing that she hadn't arrived in, pulled a gun and fired several shots, apparently at the ceiling.

A 37-year-old woman fired several gunshots, apparently at the ceiling, inside of Dallas’ Love Field Airport on Monday before an officer shot and wounded her, authorities said.

The woman was dropped off at the airport at about 11 a.m., walked inside near the ticketing counters and entered a bathroom, Dallas police Chief Eddie Garcia said at a news conference. She emerged wearing a hooded sweatshirt or some other clothing that she hadn’t arrived in, pulled a gun and fired several shots, apparently at the ceiling, he said.

“At this point, we don’t know where exactly the individual was aiming,” Garcia said.

An officer nearby shot the woman in her “lower extremities,” wounding her and enabling her to be taken into custody, Garcia said. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

“No other individuals were injured in this event other than the suspect,” Garcia said.

Police later identified the woman as Portia Odufuwa, 37, and did not speculate as to her motive.

“We wanted to ensure that our community knows that this is not an active situation,” the chief said.

Karen Warner told The Dallas Morning News that she was checking in for her flight when she heard a loud argument about 20 feet (6 meters) behind her, followed by a gunshot. Then she started running.