Canberra Airport reopens after shooting in the main terminal shut down flights for hours

Canberra Airport has resumed normal operations following a shooting in the main terminal which shut down flights for hours.

Canberra Airport confirmed flights resumed from 5pm on Sunday after hundreds of terrified travellers were forced to flee as a gunman opened fire inside the airport.

A man was arrested over the incident and police say he was acting alone. No injuries were reported.

‘The airport has resumed normal operations. Please check your travel plans directly with your airline if you are travelling today,’ the airport announced in a tweet. 

Although planes have now been permitted to take off, an active crime scene is still being combed through by investigators and passengers are still struggling to check-in for their flights.

Social media posts show long queues at the airport as airlines hurry clear the backlog of cancelled and delayed flights.

The sound of gunshots was initially reported from the security checkpoint inside main terminal building at about 1.30pm on Sunday with terrified passengers told to ‘get down’ and ‘run’.

The airport was quickly evacuated with confused travellers forced to wait outside in the cold for several hours as police checked the building.

Passengers onboard inbound flights were told to wait inside the planes until about 3.30pm. 

One passenger stranded on a plane tweeted: ‘Stuck on a plane on the tarmac while there is apparently a shooter in the Canberra airport….what the f***is going on???’. 

Detective acting superintendent David Craft confirmed one man was arrested and a firearm was recovered from the scene. 

Video captured by witnesses inside the airport’s main terminal shows police arresting the alleged gunman

Photos show bullet holes in the airport windows as police report they do not believe the alleged gunman aimed at passengers or staff in the shooting on Sunday afternoon

Mr Craft said the man spent about five minutes sitting in the departures area on level two before allegedly firing five rounds into airport windows.

He said police have ‘no idea’ what his motivation was and believe he acted alone.

Police said the man did not target passengers or staff members and had not yet passed through the security checkpoint.

‘CCTV has been reviewed and at this time the person in custody is believed to be the only person responsible for this incident,’ police said in a statement earlier today.

People were evacuated from inside the airport around 1.30pm on Sunday and were forced to wait outside until operations resumed at about 5pm

Video from inside the airport terminal shows police pinning the alleged gunman to the ground before leading him away in handcuffs

‘The Canberra Airport terminal was evacuated as a precaution and the situation at the airport is contained.

‘ACT Policing requires members of the public to not attend the airport at this time.

‘There have been no reported injuries.

‘ACT Policing have taken carriage of the incident and a further update will be provided later today.’

A video captured by a witness inside the terminal shows the suspect being pinned to the ground by potentially-armed police. 

The video then shows another officer rushing over to help and the man being led away in handcuffs.

The man is being held in custody at a Canberra police station and is expected to be charged later on Sunday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted that he had been briefed by the AFP and reassured travellers the airport is safe. 

Photos of bullet holes in the airport terminal’s windows match police reports that the gunman only fired at windows and not passengers or staff

‘I am advised a man has been detained and there is no ongoing threat present,’ he wrote.

Photos on social media show bullet holes in the airport windows, matching police reports that the gunman fired at the glass.

Senator and Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher tweeted that she was shocked by the shooting.

‘Our local airport is such an important part of Canberra community and it must have been terrifying for everyone Canberra Airport this afternoon,’ she tweeted.

Australian Border Force officers evacuated the airport and performed a safety sweep following the shooting

Journalist Louise Milligan tweeted that she was in the Qantas Lounge when the airport was evacuated. 

‘OK yes, apparently gunfire. We are all outside now and police are questioning people about what they saw and heard,’ she said.

‘They’re checking inside the terminal to make sure it is OK.’

Other witnesses reported being told to ‘get down’ and ‘run’.

Flights in and out of Canberra Airport resumed around 5pm following a shooting in the airport’s main terminal round 1.30pm

Police were seen taking witness statements while confused passengers waited outside for the security sweep to be complete.

ABC reporter Lily Thomson said she was forced to run and hide behind an information desk before security evacuated her to the carpark.

‘It was terrifying. We didn’t know what was going on. The look on people’s faces was quite terrifying,’ she said.