Man accused of jumping fence at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, running onto taxiway
FORT LAUDERDALE - An armed West Palm Beach man was arrested after he jumped a fence at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and ran onto a taxiway.
It happened on Saturday, January 20th, early in the morning.
Edward Lanahan, 38, is accused of jumping Gate 234 at 650 SW 34th Street. He then reportedly ran onto the taxiway next to one of the runways, causing it to be shut down for about 45 minutes.
The county's aviation department security was able to detain him until Broward sheriff's deputies arrived.
According to the sheriff's office, when officers arrived they noted Lanahan was on the ground with a loaded Smith & Wesson .45 caliber pistol within reach of his hand.
When questioned, Lanahan said the gun belonged to him and he had fired it three times as warning shots at people who had been chasing him on Perimeter Road. He said he didn't know who they were.
Deputies found three spent casings near Lanahan's motorcycle outside the fence at Gate 234.
Lanahan was taken into custody and has been charged with armed trespassing on an operational area of an airport and discharging a firearm in public.