THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON
HAWAII'S ONLY LIVE, LOCAL
NEWSCAST.
AFTER FOUR HOURS, THOUSANDS OF
STRANDED PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN
ALLOWED TO GO BACK THROUGH
SECURITY.
THAT IS AFTER A SECURITY
SCARE THIS AFTERNOON FORCED THE
ENTIRE TERMINAL 2 OF THE DANIEL
K. INOUYE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
TO BE EVACUATED.
HOWARD JOINS US WITH THE VERY
LATEST.
GOOD EVENING FROM THE DANIEL
K. INOUYE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME.
THESE ARE THE MANY FOLKS THAT
HAVE BEEN WAITING IN LINE SINCE
ABOUT 6:00.
THAT IS AT THE LINES TO TSA
REOPEN AFTER A THREE-HOUR DELAY.
SHORTLY AFTER 2:00 THIS
AFTERNOON, AS FOLKS WERE GOING
THROUGH THE TSA CHECKPOINT LINE,
SOMEBODY OPENED THEIR BAG.
THEY HAD A LAPTOP IN THEIR BAG
AND APPARENTLY IT STARTED TO
SMOKE.
ONCE THAT HAPPENED, SOMEBODY
SHOUTED THE WORDS, "ACTIVE
SHOOTER!"
THOSE WORDS WERE ECHOED BY TSA
AGENTS AND THEN THERE WAS
PANDEMONIUM INSIDE.
WHAT HAPPENED IS MANY PEOPLE,
INSTEAD OF RUNNING BACK OUT,
MANY PEOPLE BREACHED SECURITY BY
RUNNING THROUGH THE SECURITY
BARRIERS AND INTO THE TERMINAL.
ONCE THAT HAPPENED, THEY
DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE
TERMINAL WAS UNSTERILE.
WHAT DID THAT MEAN?
THEY HAD TO TAKE PEOPLE OFF
AIRPLANES THAT WERE IN THE
PROCESS OF BOARDING.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN TERMINAL
2, AND WE ARE TALKING THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE, HAD TO EXIT.
THEY WERE ALL BROUGHT OUTSIDE.
WE HAVE SOME VIDEO OF WHAT IT
LOOKED LIKE A COUPLE OF HOURS
AGO.
AT ABOUT 3:00, IT WAS A
SWELTERING HOT DAY.
PEOPLE, BY THE THOUSANDS, OR ON
THE BLACKTOP.
THE ROADS WERE SHUT DOWN LEADING
TO THE AIRPORT.
IT WAS A BIZARRE SCENE.
EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF WAITING
AROUND.
THERE WAS CALM THEN, BECAUSE
PEOPLE CAME TO THE REALIZATION
THAT THERE WAS NO SUGAR OR
IMMINENT THREAT -- SHOOTER OR
IMMINENT THREAT.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
SPOKESPERSON NOT LONG AFTER THE
SITUATION UNFOLDED.
HE DESCRIBED WHAT HE KNEW AT THE
TIME.
IT WAS NEVER AN
ACTIVE
SHOOTER SITUATION AT THE
AIRPORT.
THAT WAS A COMPLETELY FALSE
REPORT.
THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS AFTERNOON
SHORTLY AFTER 2:00, OPERATIONS
WERE GOING IS NORMAL AT THE
AIRPORT.
WITH THE PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS
ARE IS THAT THERE WAS A COUPLE
WITH A LAPTOP BATTERY, ACTUALLY
TWO LAPTOPS THAT STARTED TO
OVERHEAT.
ONE STARTED TO POP AND SMOKE
AFTERWARDS.
THERE WAS THAT THAT HAPPENED.
FROM THAT SITUATION, THOUGH
, IT
WE ARE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE
WHERE SOME PANIC HAPPENED.
AT THAT POINT, SOME OF THE
PASSENGERS MAY HAVE GONE THROUGH
THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT WITHOUT
BEING SCREENED.
AT THAT POINT, OFFICIALS WERE
CALLED.
FIREFIGHTING UNITS WERE CALLED.
THERE WAS NEVER ANY FIRE BUT THE
LAPTOP MALFUNCTIONED, STARTED TO
SMOKE, AND HAD A POPPING SOUND.
THAT IS WHEN THE CHECKPOINT,
CHECKPOINT THREE AT TERMINAL TQ
WO, WAS SHUT DOWN AND
CLOSED.
SO AGAIN, AS HE WAS TELLING
US, HE DID NOT HAVE A FULL GRASP
OF THE SITUATION BECAUSE IT WAS
CONTINUING TO ENFOLD.
FLIGHTS THAT HAD SHUT THEIR
DOORS AND WERE ON THE TARMAC
WERE FREE TO HIGHTAIL IT ON OUT
OF HERE.
FLIGHTS THAT WERE IN THE PROCESS
OF BEING BOARDED, THOSE PEOPLE
HAD TO COME OFF AND GO THROUGH
THE PROCESS AGAIN.
WE TALKED TO ONE YOUNG MAN WHO
WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE CONVEYOR
BELT WHEN THE BATTERY BURST INTO
FLAMES.
THIS IS WHAT HE DESCRIBED.
I LOOK OVER TO THE OTHER
SIDE, THE OTHER AREA, AND I SEE
THIS LITTLE SUITCASE, AND SOME
SMOKE IS COMING OUT OF IT.
I AM LIKE, WHAT'S THAT?
I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC.
I THOUGHT IT WAS -- I HAD THE
HUNCH IT WOULD BE A LAPTOP.
I CALMLY WATCHED.
EVERYBODY ELSE KIND OF FREAKED
OUT.
PEOPLE WHAT THIS WAY, PEOPLE
WENT THAT WAY.
RIGHT NOW IT'S HAPPENING IS
ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING BACK
THROUGH.
THEY ARE HEADING TO DALLAS.
TELL ME ABOUT THIS DAY FOR YOU?
WE GOT START -- FOR YOU.
WE GOT STARTED AND THEN THEY
TOLD EVERYBODY TO GO OUTSIDE SO
WE GOT OUTSIDE.
WE CAME BACK TO MY THEN THEY
TOLD US TO SIT OVER HERE, THEN
WE JUST GOT BACK IN LINE AFTER
WAITING.
DID YOU HAVE A NICE TIME IN
HAWAII, THOUGH?
YES, IT WAS A BLAST.
GO JOIN YOUR FAMILY.
THIS LINE HERE IS ACTUALLY
MOVING FASTER THAN I HAVE EVER
SEEN TSA LINES MOVE.
THIS IS NOT THE PROJECT, THIS IS
THE -- PRE-CHECK, THIS IS THE
STANDARD SECURITY LINE.
THEY BROUGHT IN CANINE TEAMS.
THEY ARE SCANNING THE LINE,
GOING THROUGH AND WALKING
BETWEEN PASSENGERS.
BECAUSE THEY ARE TAKING THE TIME
TO SNIFF AROUND, THEY ARE NOT
REQUIRING ANY PASSENGERS TO TAKE
OFF THEIR SHOES.
THAT IN ITSELF SAVES A WHOLE LOT
OF TIME.
PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO TAKE OUT
THEIR LAPTOPS, IPADS, AND ALL
THAT.
THESE PEOPLE, THEIR MOVING, THE
LIGHT IS MOVING -- THEY ARE
MOVING, THE LINE IS MOVING
QUICKLY.
PEOPLE SCREAMED THE WORDS
"ACTIVE SHOOTING1"
YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THAT SENT
PEOPLE INTO A PANICS A JEWISH
AND.
NOBODY WILL MISS THEIR FLIGHT --
A PANIC SITUATION.
NOBODY WILL MISS THEIR FLIGHT.
NOW PEOPLE ARE MAKING THEIR WAY
THROUGH.
THEY DID TALK ABOUT GOING
THROUGH THE LINE AND ASKING THE
PEOPLE WHO HAD EARLIER FLIGHTS
TO GET IN MY FIRST.
THEY RELENT -- IN LINE FIRST.
THEY REALIZED THAT WAS NOT GOING
TO WORK.
AT ONE POINT DURING THE
AFTERNOON, THEY SHEPHERDED AS
MANY PEOPLE DOWNSTAIRS TO THE
BAGGAGE CLAIM AREA BECAUSE THAT
PART OF THE AREA -- AIRPORT IS
AT LEAST UNCLOSED -- AND CLOSED
-- ENCLOSED.
PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE MORE
SUBJECT TO HEAT ISSUES, THEY GOT
THEM DOWN INTO THE
AIR-CONDITIONING.
PEOPLE WERE WALKING AROUND WITH
WATER.
THE AIRPORT DID EVERYTHING
POSSIBLE TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE AS
COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE.
ONCE AGAIN, AS YOU ARE WATCHING
THE PROCESS BEHIND ME, THE LINE
IS MOVING ABOUT AS QUICKLY AS
YOU COULD EXPECT IT TO EVER MOVE
AT TSA.
HOPEFULLY THESE PEOPLE WILL BE
BACK ON THEIR FLIGHTS.
WHEREVER THEY ARE HEADING, WE
WISH THEM A SAFE FLIGHT.
CERTAINLY, THEY WILL HAVE A
STORY TO TELL WHEN THEY GET TO
THEIR DESTINATION.
THANKS FOR THE UPDATE.
OTHER WITNESSES SAY TODAY WAS
JUST PURE CHAOS AT THE AIRPORT.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT CAME
FROM, BUT YES, THERE WERE
MULTIPLE TSA AGENTS SAINT ACTIVE
SHOOTER -- SAYING ACTIVE
SHOOTER.
PEOPLE WERE RUNNING, TRAMPLING
EACH OTHER TRYING TO GET
THROUGH.
SHE GOT SEPARATED OFF.
THEY TOOK HER DOWN BELOW INTO
THE SECURE AREA.
WE HAD TO WAIT TO GET BACK IN
TOUCH WITH HER.
THEY WERE TELLING ME TO GO
UNDER THE THING BECAUSE THERE
WAS AN ACTIVE SHOOTER.
WHEN I WAS WAITING IN THE
LOCATION, THEY SAID THERE WAS AN
ACTIVE SHOOTER.
THEY WERE TELLING US THAT AND
THAT WE NEEDED TO DUCK AND STUFF
LIKE THAT.
AGAIN, THE TSA SAYS A LAPTOP
IN SOMEONE'S CARRY-ON LUGGAGE
OVERHEATED.
SOME PEOPLE IN THE AREA THOUGHT
THEY HEARD GUNSHOTS AND THAT LED
TO A TERRIFYING AND CHAOTIC
AFTERNOON AT THE AIRPORT.
WE HEARD SOME -- WHAT SOUNDED
LIKE SHOTS, BUT THEY WERE "PW
,
POW!."
MOMENTS OF PANIC AT
HONOLULU'S AIRPORT.
PEOPLE WERE SCREAMING.
THERE WAS NO ACTIVE SHOOTER.
THERE WAS A COUPLE WITH A
LAPTOP BATTERY, ACTUALLY TWO
LAPTOPS, THAT STARTED TO
OVERHEAT.
ONE OF THEM STARTED TO POP AND
SMOKE.
THE BATTERY IS SHORTING OUT.
RICHARD IS A COMPUTER EXPERT.
HE'S AS LAPTOPS CONTAIN LITHIUM
BATTERIES.
WHILE -- HE SAYS LAPTOPS
CONTAIN
LITHIUM BATTERIES.
IT DOES NOT HAPPEN VERY
OFTEN.
IT'S NOT UNHEARD OF.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THE SAMSUNG
GALAXY SEVEN PHONES HAVE THIS
PROBLEM WITH THEIR BATTERIES
EXPLODING.
HE SAYS IF YOUR DEVICE GETS
HOT, THAT'S A RED FLAG.
IT WAS TAKE A SHORT CIRCUIT
-- WOULD TAKE A SHORT CIRCUIT
WITHIN THE BATTERY ITSELF.
ONCE IT GETS TO A CERTAIN
TEMPERATURE, IT STARTS REACTING
WITH THE OXYGEN IN THE AIR AND
THAT IS WHEN AN EXPLOSION CAN
OCCUR.
FOR THAT REASON, THE FAA SAYS
ALL DEVICES WITH LITHIUM
BATTERIES SHOULD BE IN YOUR
CARRY-ON.
LOSE THAT THE EMBED -- LOOSE