Bullet Strikes Southwest Airlines Jet Near Cockpit As It Prepares To Take Off

The Boeing 737-800 was taxiing at Dallas Love Field Airport when the bullet hit

Southwest jetliner — A Southwest Airlines jetliner is seen at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, on Feb. 4, 2024. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

A Southwest Airlines jetliner was struck by a bullet while preparing to fly out of Dallas on Friday night.

Gunshots were heard around 9:50 p.m. at Dallas Love Field Airport but no injuries were reported after the passenger plane was hit, local TV station KXAS reported.

In a statement, Southwest Airlines said the bullet "struck the right side of the plane, just below the flight deck, as the crew was preparing for takeoff."

The Federal Aviation Administration said the bullet hit "near the cockpit" of the Boeing 737-800 as it was "taxiing for takeoff."

Flight 2494 was due to travel to Indianapolis International Airport but instead returned to the gate, where the passengers got off and the aircraft was taken out of service.

Dallas police and Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the shooting scene but no arrests were reported.

Dallas Love Field Airport said on social media that runway 13R/31L was "briefly closed but has since reopened" and that "there was minimal impact on airport operations."