Man with fake gun sparks panic at Orlando Airport
A man with an apparent death wish is in custody after bringing panic to Orlando International Airport.
Michael Wayne Pettigrew, 26, caused a two-hour standoff with police near a car rental pickup area after he was spotted brandishing a gun.
That sparked a panic in the area with passengers fleeing for cover and a response from dozens of law enforcement officers.
Pettigrew was waving the gun at police and shouting ‘shoot me, shoot me.’
"When the officers got there, they realized this was a person in mental distress and basically wanted to do the whole suicide by cop thing," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.
The situation was contained within the car rental facility with a limited number of arriving flights disrupted, the airport said.
"He laid down on the ground with the gun very close by to him. Our negotiators did a phenomenal job of talking with the subject for about two hours and finally got him to peacefully surrender," Mina said, adding that the gun turned out to be a fake.
Former Marine Pettigrew faces the charge of aggravated assault with a firearm but is currently being held for a mental evaluation.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists