Spirit Airlines flight traveling from Florida to Haiti diverted after reports of gunfire

Passengers and crew reported hearing gunshots on board Spirit Airlines flight

The plane was diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

A Spirit Airlines flight traveling from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Port-au-Prince, Haiti was diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday, July 24, after reports of gunfire on board the aircraft. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. ET, shortly after the plane took off from Fort Lauderdale. Passengers and crew members reported hearing multiple gunshots coming from the back of the plane.

The pilot immediately turned the plane around and landed safely at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. All passengers and crew members were evacuated from the plane without injury. The Broward County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.

Spirit Airlines released a statement saying that they are cooperating with law enforcement and are "committed to the safety of our passengers and crew members." The airline has not released any information about the passengers or crew members who reported hearing the gunshots.

This incident is the latest in a series of reports of gunfire on board commercial aircraft in recent months. In April, a Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles was diverted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a passenger fired a gun on board the plane. In May, an American Airlines flight from Miami to Boston was diverted to Philadelphia after a passenger fired a gun on board the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a number of safety directives in recent years in an effort to prevent gunfire on board aircraft. These directives include requiring airlines to install bulletproof cockpit doors and to train flight crews on how to respond to incidents of gunfire on board aircraft.