Woman stabbed at Miami International Airport, one held

Miami (Florida): A woman sustained critical injuries in a stabbing incident at Miami International Airport late Saturday evening, CNN reported, citing the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The incident led to evacuations of two concourses, though normal airport operations have since resumed, according to a news release issued Sunday morning.

The incident occurred around 11:30 pm on the fourth floor of Terminal J.

The suspect, identified as a male, allegedly stabbed the victim multiple times and tried to throw her over the railing, the release stated.

"Without provocation, the subject attacked the victim by stabbing her multiple times and attempting to throw her over the railing," the release said. "The victim was able to escape the attack and ran down the stairs to the 3rd floor level, which is where the officers found her."

The suspect was taken into custody at the scene, police said. The authorities also recovered a knife from him.

The injured victim was transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Centre in critical condition, CNN reported.

In response to the incident, passengers were evacuated from Concourses H and J in the airport's south terminal as a precautionary measure. Operations resumed after all passengers were screened again.

We want to assure the public that the situation is under control and the safety of our passengers, staff, and visitors remains our top priority," a statement from the airport said, adding, "Authorities responded immediately, and the situation was swiftly contained."

Miami-Dade Police emphasised ongoing investigations into the attack. They clarified that initial reports of an active shooter during the chaos were unsubstantiated.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted a decline in unruly passenger incidents, with over 2,000 reported in 2023, a 15 per cent decrease from the previous year. However, nearly 900 incidents have been reported in 2024 thus far, indicating ongoing challenges despite significant reductions since the peak in early 2021.

"The rate of unruly passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do," the administration said, CNN reported.