Saskia Harthe had simply checked in at Canberra Airport to fly residence to Melbourne, when gunshots rang out within the terminal.
She was on the cellphone to her aunt, when she heard what sounded "like airport trolleys bashing collectively".
Harthe rapidly realised it wasn't.
"Everybody began screaming, and yelling 'run,'" she stated.
"It did not really feel actual."
Harthe stated she was shepherded right into a again room with some Qantas employees.
"((We) received informed to cover behind some furnishings and duck down," she stated.
"We did not actually know what was taking place, it was fairly terrifying."
Harthe rang her father from the room, who informed her to remain calm.
She's not sure how lengthy she was cowering in worry, earlier than the group was informed to evacuate.
"I could not let you know how lengthy we have been in there, after which we received evacuated out," she stated.
When she known as her father later to say she was protected, he began crying, she stated.
In the meantime, Gary Hallissey was sitting down, ready to gather his son contained in the terminal, when he heard "three or 4" photographs.
He stated the handful of individuals sitting close by him bumped into the bathrooms, whereas he received up and moved.
"It seemed like photographs nevertheless it might have been a automobile backfiring," Hallissey stated.
"Individuals have been panicking, a bit bit, they have been involved.
"I received up and went behind a pillar, in case there was some nutter and the place with a gun - which there clearly was."
After being ushered exterior by safety, he noticed the gunshot holes within the glass a degree above him.
He stated the police response was "very fast" and he noticed the alleged gunman in handcuffs.
"We do not usually have this situation in Canberra. It is a uncommon incidence to have any person fireplace bullets in an airport," he stated.
Hallissey's son informed him he was on the Tarmac however wasn't allowed off the aircraft.
Georgina Chandler was within the Qantas lounge heading to board her aircraft to Adelaide when the incident unfolded.
However she wasn't allowed out to her gate.
Chandler was informed the airport was about to be evacuated, and was quickly escorted exterior by employees
"It is a bit unnerving," she stated.
"Not what I used to be anticipating."
There was confusion on social media over what was taking place.
"Canberra Airport is in lockdown we're not aloud to get off our aircraft, anybody know what is going on on? one traveller requested in a Canberra Fb group.
Walter Olsen shared a video from contained in the airport exhibiting individuals standing filming on their telephones, with sirens going off.
"Enjoyable occasions at Canberra Airport. All evacuated on account of gunman. None harm from what I perceive. Suspect apprehended by AFP," he stated.
"We have been locked down in a quarantine space, all exits have been locked.
"We have been evacuated about 20 minutes after this. Nobody had any concept what was occurring."
John Schulman stated he was "standing within the releasing chilly," after being informed to go exterior.
Juliana McArthur wrote she arrived on the airport to, "discover it against the law scene."
Timeline of the Canberra Airport taking pictures
Round 1:30pm (AEST)
- A person opens fireplace within the Canberra Airport terminal, close to a safety screening across the check-in space
- The terminal is evacuated and all flights are grounded. Passengers on arriving flights stay caught on the tarmac, unable to disembark
- Footage emerges on social media of a person being arrested by police with what seems to be a handgun on the ground in entrance of him
2:38pm
- ACT Policing launch a press release confirming one man has been arrested and a gun taken from him
- Police say there isn't any ongoing risk, and that the person is believed to have acted alone
- They verify no accidents have been reported
3:30pm
- ACT Policing verify the person fired round 5 photographs contained in the terminal, however say it would not seem they have been focused at individuals. As a substitute, they are saying the gunman fired in direction of the terminal's glass home windows
- Police verify the terminal stays in lockdown, however stress there isn't any risk to the neighborhood
5pm
- Canberra Airport reopens