The authorities of Miami-Dade revealed information about the individual who on Wednesday afternoon fired four shots in the parking area of Miami International Airport.
The shooter was a homeless man identified as Francisco Iván Mendiola, 31 years old, who was arrested shortly after the incident.
Joseph Peguero Rivera, spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Police, clarified the details of the incident: "We can confirm that the individual did fire the weapon, but no one was hit. The reason for the shooting is unknown. He fired at the ground and at a trash can."
The incident occurred around 4:00 pm when multiple 911 calls alerted authorities to gunfire near Gate 17 of the airport, prompting a large police operation that was initially treated as a potential active shooter situation.
The agents located Mendiola between the Flamingo parking lot and the short-term parking area, where he was handcuffed and taken into custody.
Upon searching his backpack, they found the weapon along with two magazines, each capable of holding 16 rounds, both containing 12 bullets, as well as four shell casings in the area where he was detained.
The researchers noted that he was intoxicated, which prevented them from conducting a formal interview with him.
According to the arrest report, Mendiola was seen by an officer on the second floor of the Flamingo parking garage, near Terminal E, carrying a weapon before opening fire toward the terminals.
Three of the four projectiles hit a metal trash can, while the fourth struck the windshield of an unoccupied Dodge Challenger.
No injuries were reported among passengers or airport employees.
Mendiola faces charges for discharging a projectile or deadly weapon, illegal discharge of a firearm in a public place, and property damage valued between $200 and $1,000.
Closure of several airport departures and witness testimonies
The operation forced a temporary closure of the departures level between gates 12 and 17, diverting all vehicular traffic to the arrivals level, which caused chaos among those entering and exiting the airport. The departures level was not reopened until just before 6:00 PM.
Several witnesses described to Telemundo 51 scenes of confusion and fear. "The sirens, the Police, all of that," recalled David, one of the travelers present in the area, who was able to capture the moment the suspect was apprehended.
"When we were on the plane, it was scary because you don't know what's happening," said traveler Laura González, who also mentioned seeing helicopters flying over the area upon arrival.
Another user, José Vivas, described the disconnect between what was happening inside and outside: "They didn't tell us anything. Inside, everything seems normal as if nothing had happened. When you go outside, you find this situation and one wonders what is going on."
Security at Miami Airport
This episode adds to a series of security incidents reported at MIA during 2026: in January, the South Terminal was evacuated due to a suspicious bag, and in early September, two cases of false threats—one involving a Cuban who joked about having a grenade— prompted significant police operations at the facilities.
The case of Mendiola represents the most serious incident in terms of actual gunfire at the airport during this period, raising questions about access for vulnerable individuals to the facilities and the perimeter security protocols at MIA.
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