Search at New York's JFK airport finds no signs of gunfire

[NEW YORK] A preliminary investigation at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport found no evidence of gunfire inside one of its terminals on Sunday despite earlier reports of shots being heard, the airport's operator said.

No gun casings were found after a search of Terminal 8, where reports of gunshots in the departures area led to an evacuation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a Twitter message.

"The terminal was evacuated out of an abundance of caution,"the agency said. "Travelers should contact their carriers." Video and photos posted on social media showed hundreds of people streaming out of Terminal 8, used by Air Berlin, Alaska Airlines, American Eagle, American Airlines, Finnair and other carriers for departures.

Sherwin Bryce-Pease, a correspondent with South African Broadcasting Corp based in New York, was on a Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris that landed at JFK shortly before 10 pm EDT (0200 GMT).

"They told us nothing from the flight deck. Only that the earliest the gate will be available will be in an hour 15 minutes from when we landed, an announcement greeted by huge sighs on our Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris," he said.

On Saturday, reports of gunfire sent a crowded mall in Raleigh, North Carolina, into chaos. The Crabtree Valley Mall was placed on lockdown in the early afternoon after several shoppers reported hearing gunfire, but a search turned up no suspects or bullet casings.

REUTERS