close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

The Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire as it attempted to land in Haiti
asane

The Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire as it attempted to land in Haiti

A Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire Monday while landing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

An airline spokesperson told FOX News that Digital Spirit Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida was diverted to Santiago, Dominican Republic, where it landed safely after being hit by gunfire.

Upon arrival in the Dominican Republic, an inspection found evidence of damage to the aircraft that was consistent with gunfire.

Although none of the passengers on board were injured, a flight attendant on the aircraft reported minor injuries and was evaluated by medical personnel.

READING: Sun City Center shooting death under investigation: ‘It’s so scary’

The aircraft has since been decommissioned and Spirit is preparing another plane to take the passengers and crew back to Fort Lauderdale.

“The safety of our guests and crew members is our top priority and we have suspended service to Port-au-Prince (PAP) and Cap-Haitien (CAP) pending further assessment,” the airline said in a statement.

The US Embassy in Port-au-Prince said it was aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from the city, which may include armed violence and disruption of roads, the port and airports.

READING: Homecoming Week shootings at Tuskegee University leave 1 dead, 16 injured

“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” the US Embassy said. “Travel to Haiti at your own risk.”

The statement also noted that the US government cannot guarantee the safety of US citizens traveling to airports, borders or abroad from Haiti.

The embassy suggested that those considering traveling to Haiti consider their personal safety first.

The security warnings come on the same day Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille was ousted from office after just six months in the role.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: