A man opened fire in Miami International Airport's short-term parking garage on Tuesday afternoon, firing four rounds before deputies took him into custody. No one was hurt, and officials say it was never an active-shooter situation.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to reports of shots fired around 4:05 p.m. on Sept. 23. According to an arrest affidavit, they found the suspect on the second floor of the garage, where he loaded a magazine and fired a shot. Investigators say he fired three rounds toward an occupied terminal -- one struck a metal trash can -- and a fourth round that hit an unoccupied vehicle.
Who the suspect is
Deputies identified the suspect as 31-year-old Francisco Ivan Mendiola. Arrest records describe him as homeless, with prior arrests in June for petty theft tied to alcohol taken from nearby stores. Deputies say he appeared intoxicated and was acting aggressively, and that they were unable to conduct a formal interview because of his condition and behavior. He was taken into custody without further incident.
The charges
According to the arrest affidavit, Mendiola faces one felony count of shooting or throwing a deadly missile, one misdemeanor count of unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place, and two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief. Deputies say they recovered a firearm from his backpack along with two 16-round-capacity magazines, each loaded with 12 rounds. His motive is unknown.
What happened at the airport
The Miami-Dade Aviation Department confirmed all passengers and employees were safe and said it was not an active-shooter situation. Departure levels were briefly closed off while deputies responded, then reopened the same day, and normal operations resumed.
