A 37-year-old woman has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant after she opened fire at Dallas Love Field Airport Monday morning, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said during a Tuesday afternoon press conference, as authorities released videos of the dramatic incident.
The woman, identified as Portia Odufuwa, entered the airport at about 10:59 a.m. local time and went to a restroom, police said. She exited the bathroom wearing different clothing and fired three shots into the air, Garcia said. She then pointed her weapon at a bystander and an officer, who subsequently returned fire. An investigation later determined that Odufuwa had fired her weapon at the officer.
Garcia identified the officer Tuesday as a 15-year veteran, who responded as soon as the suspect began shooting and gave multiple verbal commands to her while verbally guiding bystanders to safety. Garcia commended the officer's bravery and courage, saying he saved countless lives.
The officer fired his weapon at the suspect eight or nine times, according to Garcia. The suspect was hit in a lower extremity. She underwent surgery and is in stable condition as of Tuesday afternoon.
No one else was injured.
Police said that the person who drove the suspect to the airport was an Uber driver who was not involved in the incident.
During Tuesday's press conference, police presented surveillance video and body camera footage from the incident. The footage shows the suspect exit a car, enter the terminal, go into a bathroom, leave the bathroom and begin to shoot. She is eventually shot by the officer, closely matching both earlier updates from police and eyewitness statements.
Police said that witnesses heard the woman rambling about a marriage, incarceration and blowing up the airport before she began shooting.
The gun used in the shooting was not registered to the suspect, who, according to police, has been prohibited from possessing a firearm since 2018. It is not clear how she obtained the firearm.
Garcia added that the suspect tried twice in 2016 to purchase a firearm from a pawn shop but was denied because of an outstanding traffic warrant in New Mexico.
Police also confirmed she had several prior interactions with law enforcement, including a 2019 arrest for an alleged bank robbery in Wylie, Texas, a 2019 arrest for alleged arson and a 2020 apprehension after which she was transported for a mental health evaluation.
The airport was placed under lockdown during the Monday shooting and resumed flight operations after several hours of investigation.
The suspect could face additional federal charges, Garcia said. No motive has been determined at this time, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.