Fort Lauderdale airport evacuated, bomb squad called after suspicious bag found in terminal

Parts of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were evacuated on Sunday after police officials conducted a “security-related law enforcement investigation.” 

Police received a call at around 10:34 a.m. on Sunday reporting a suspicious unattended bag inside Terminal 1, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office. 

A BSO Bomb Squad Unit responded to the scene and parts of the terminal were evacuated as a precaution. 

The airport confirmed in a tweet that the upper-level check-in area of Terminal 1 was evacuated and the upper-level roadway was closed during the investigation. 

About two hours later, at 12:30 p.m., authorities determined that there was no threat and announced that they were closing the investigation. 

The airport said that travelers who were scheduled to board flights at Terminal 1 should check with their respective airlines about their flight status since the delays of many flights were likely due to the incident. 

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is Florida’s third busiest airport following Orlando and Miami. 

The incident comes two days after an area of the Tampa International Airport had to be evacuated after a man was found with a gun at a TSA checkpoint, according to officials. 

The passenger was found in possession of a firearm among his belongings at around 8 p.m., police said. Airport officials ordered all of the passengers in Airside F to be evacuated to police could conduct a precautionary sweep. 

The man, identified as Abraham Othman Yacoub, 25, is expected to be charged for allegedly possessing a weapon in the terminal and tampering with evidence after he moved the gun, officials added. 

Several flights were impacted by the incident, the airport said.