Man shoots himself at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

A man shot himself at Bush Intercontinental Airport in north Houston early Thursday afternoon, the Houston Police Department said.

The unidentified armed man approached a ticket counter in Terminal B, where he shot himself, inflicting “life-threatening injuries,” Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon told the Los Angeles Times.

Police are investigating unconfirmed reports that the man exchanged shots with an air marshal before turning a gun on himself, Canon said in a telephone interview.

The incident began about 1:35 p.m. in a ticketing area before security checkpoints, Cannon said. There were no other reports of injuries.

The terminal has been closed during the investigation.

The shooting sent people in the terminal scrambling and screaming, according to the Associated Press.

Dale Howard, of Tomball, was at the baggage area of the airport waiting for his sister to arrive on an incoming flight when he heard two shots fired from the floor above, he told the AP. A few seconds later, he said, he heard three more shots.

“People were screaming. I knew exactly what it was: gunfire,” Howard said.

Police from an adjacent station rushed in; Howard said he directed them to the floor above, the AP reported.

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michael.muskal@latimes.com