This archive report was first published on 7 September 2019.
On Labor Day weekend, a false alarm of an active shooter sent Newark Airport passengers into a panic. The incident, which unfolded on Monday evening, has sparked allegations of racial profiling.
According to reports, Han Han Xue, a 29-year-old Canadian citizen and product designer, and Chunyi Luo, a 20-year-old student, were waiting to board their flight to San Francisco when an Alaska Airlines employee accused them of conspiracy. The employee, who has been identified as having bipolar disorder and issues with her medication, allegedly questioned the men about their itineraries and accused them of acting suspiciously.
"I was minding my own business when a female Alaska Airlines employee began questioning me and my friend," Xue told BuzzFeed News. "She asked us why we were acting suspiciously and what our itineraries were. She also asked how much we were being paid and if we were visiting the US on a visa."
After the employee yelled at passengers to evacuate and pressed an emergency alarm, Xue and Luo were taken in for questioning by Port Authority Police. However, after a series of questioning, police found that the two men had done nothing wrong and were released.
"The moment it happened is really hard to describe," Xue told BuzzFeed News. "Everybody started running. It was the most insane scene I've ever been in or ever seen."
When reached for comment, Xue declined to provide further information, stating that he had already shared his side of the story. Luo, however, expressed his anger and fear over the incident, saying, "I'm so angry about that. I'm just so scared... it's horrible, it's awful."
