At a press conference at police headquarters, García said the gun Portia Odufuwa, 37, used on Monday was not registered in her name, and added that she had tried to buy a gun in Texas at least twice since 2016 but had been denied due to an outstanding traffic warrant from New Mexico. It’s unclear how she obtained the gun, and Garcia said Tuesday that police had not yet searched her home or spoken to people she knows to determine a motive. Odufuwa was dropped off at the airport at about 11am on Monday by an Uber driver. Garcia said that although the Uber driver noticed something “strange” about Odufua, he will not be involved in the investigation. Odufuwa went into a bathroom and then approached the Southwest Airlines ticket counter where witnesses heard her make comments about her “husband,” who she said is famous singer Chris Brown. García said she stated she needed to make an announcement and, according to an arrest warrant affidavit she obtained The Dallas Morning Newshe shouted “I’m going to blow it up [expletive] above.” Then he pulled out a gun.
Surveillance footage shows panic
Surveillance footage from the airport, which was released Tuesday by police and has no audio, shows dozens of people running and hitting the floor as Odufuwa fires into the air. A woman rises from a wheelchair and climbs behind the ticket counter as others, including police officer Ronald Cronin, shield their bodies with ticket booths. At the news conference Tuesday, Garcia said Odufua fired three shots into the air, but a department spokeswoman later clarified that he fired twice into the air and once in response to Cronin, a 15-year veteran of the department. Police also wrote in the affidavit that a round with the “carrier that was in the booth” near where Cronin hid “confirmed that she shot the officer.” Surveillance video does not clearly show Odufuwa firing at the officer. Cronin then shoots the woman. Only five seconds pass between the time Odufuwa fires her gun at the ceiling and the time she is hit and hits the ground. Garcia said Cronin shot Odufua eight or nine times, hitting her several times in the “lower extremities.” “The goal is to neutralize a threat,” Garcia said. “You must shoot to stop the threat.” The video shows three other officers joining Cronin near the booth. In body camera footage, someone can be heard saying “Put your hands up, don’t move. What are you doing?” A ticket booth facing the officer’s body camera appears to have two bullet holes in its screen. Odufuwa pushes the gun away. As the officers move towards her, Odufuwa can be heard moaning in pain as she lies on her stomach, blood splattered on the floor below her. An officer bends down next to her and marks a wound on her side while putting Odufuwa’s hands behind her back. As the officer’s camera pans to the left, a woman is seen still shielding another person behind a booth with her body. Odufuwa was taken to hospital, where she underwent surgery and was stable as of Monday afternoon. No one else was injured, police said. Garcia praised Cronin’s bravery on Tuesday, calling him a “keeper” and a “warrior.” “I cannot teach bravery and courage. We can do all the training in the world to prepare for these kinds of events, but what it comes down to in the end is pure bravery and courage,” the chief said. “I’m very proud of him.”
Arrest history
Jail records show that Odufuwa is facing a charge of aggravated assault against a public servant. The charge is a first-degree felony, and conviction can result in 5 to 99 years or life in prison, as well as a fine of up to $10,000. No bond or jail location information was available Tuesday afternoon, and it was unclear if he was still in the hospital. Odufuwa has a history of arrests, in some cases with charges dismissed after she was found incompetent to stand trial, according to court records. An arson charge, her most serious, stemmed from an incident in Mesquite in October 2019, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Officers found Odufuwa watching over a house that was previously burnt down. Odufuwa told the police that she set the house on fire and when asked why, the affidavit replied: “I am the prophet of God and I need a lawyer but basically I am informing you that I am the cause of this fire. .” Other charges against her include robbery, criminal trespass and false reporting – all filed in cities across North Texas in recent years. Odufuwa was charged with robbing a bank in Wylie in April 2019. Wylie police said Odufuwa entered the Bank of America in the 1300 block of West FM544 and displayed a note demanding an undisclosed amount of money. The customers were taken to a safe location and responding officers found Odufuwa nearby as she tried to flee, police said. Matthew DeSarno, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Dallas office, said the agency was not notified of the robbery. When asked why, he said he didn’t know. Odufuwa was found incompetent to stand trial and underwent both inpatient and outpatient treatment. The case was ultimately dismissed, court records show. It was unclear Tuesday what mental health diagnoses Odufuwa had that led to her being found incompetent.
