Bolt's gold could have caused JFK panic

Cheers when Usain Bolt won Olympic gold in the 100-metre sprint may have been mistaken for gunfire at New York's John F Kennedy airport.

Bolt reigns supreme as Australia falls short of hopesBolt reigns supreme as Australia falls short of hopes

Usain Bolt Source: Getty Images

Revellers celebrating Usain Bolt's 100-metre Rio Olympic victory may have prompted ultimately unfounded reports of gunshots at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The timing of Bolt's dash to gold roughly corresponded with an anonymous emergency call from a woman reporting gunshots at Terminal 8 on Sunday night (local time).

Police say more than 20 people subsequently reported gunshots to 911.

That is one of the possibilities being examined as investigators try to determine what led to a series of evacuations at the airport on Sunday night.

Investigators are now interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage to figure out what caused the chaos.

The Associated Press has obtained an internal brief from the New York Police Department which says patrons became "extremely disruptive" after watching the Olympics.

Authorities scoured the terminal and determined no shots had been fired.


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Source: AAP



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