Tico Killed By Marshals on Miami Flight
Rigoberto Alpizar bolted down the aisle of American Airlines Flight 924 shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday in Miami International airport.

In pursuit behind him, through the narrow passageway of the Boeing 757: his female companion - police believe it was his wife - yelling ''stop, stop'' in English and then in Spanish, ``He's sick, he's sick.''

The chaos ended quickly. Federal agents shot  Alpizar, 44, a U.S. citizen, originally from Costa Rica, died on the scene. He had arrived in Miami from Quito, Ecuador, earlier Wednesday and was headed back to Orlando. 

Police say the man claimed he had a bomb in his backpack.

The incident drew nationwide media attention and marked the first time a passenger was gunned down by undercover air marshals since marshals became a fixture aboard many U.S. flights in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Passengers said they recalled Alpizar acting erratically earlier, during the boarding process for the Orlando-bound flight.

''He didn't look stable,'' said John McAlhany, a Sebastian construction worker in seat 24-C.

Alpizar dashed to the front of the plane, knocking down flight attendants and startling passengers ready for takeoff.

Passengers said Alpizar's companion returned to her seat to retrieve their luggage. But before she could return, Alpizar was already being confronted by two federal air marshals.

Alpizar, clutching his backpack, did the wrong thing. He ''uttered a sentence to the effect that he had a bomb'' in his backpack, said Jim Bauer, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Air Marshals service in Miami.

The marshals ordered him to the ground. But Alpizar didn't comply.

Alpizar reached into his bag instead. And in that split second, the armed marshals made their decision. They opened fire.

''The threat escalated,'' Bauer explained. ``He was in the vicinity of the front door when he was shot.''

According to Department of Homeland Security officials, there was no evidence the incident was related to terrorism.

''There's no reason to believe right now that there is any nexus to terrorism, or that indeed any other events are associated with this one,'' Bauer said.

Still, law enforcement officers checked other airports around the country and found no evidence of any other attacks being coordinated, Bauer said.

The shooting occurred within earshot of other horrified passengers, who reported hearing at least five shots fired. It was unclear if both air marshals - who were not identified - fired their weapons.

Alpizar's His family, in the United States and Costa Rica, were stunned at the news. Alpizar, who worked in the paint department of a home improvement store, had been flying through Miami after a working vacation in Peru, said his brother-in-law, Steven Buechner. He said Alpizar met his sister, Anne, when she was an exchange student in Costa Rica. They had been married about 22 years, relatives said.

''Our family is still in shock,'' said Kelley Buechner, Alpizar's sister-in-law, by telephone from Milwaukee.

His neighbors in suburban Orlando, where he lived on an oak-lined, middle-class street, told The Associated Press they had noticed nothing wrong.

''He was a nice guy, always smiling, always talkative,'' said Louis Gunther, 73, a neighbor who said he was watching Alpizar's home while he and his wife were on a church trip. ``Everybody is talking about a guy I know nothing about.''


After the shooting, law enforcement officers surrounded the plane. Inside, McAlhany said passengers were ordered to crouch under their seats. He said when he tried to pop up for a look, a flight attendant ordered him to get back down.

He said the man apparently left a backpack on the plane, adding that the other passengers were treated roughly when law enforcement boarded the plane after the shooting.

'They put a gun to the back of my head and said, `Put your hands on the seat,' '' he said. ``That was more scary than anything else.''

He said the passengers were taken off the plane and confined to a conference room ``with a lot of other people.''

Although law enforcement officers blew up two pieces of luggage apparently belonging to the suspect, officials said no bomb or weapon was found on the plane or passenger.

''I don't know if they shot an innocent man or not,'' McAlhany said. ``I don't think he was armed or had a bomb. I think he had a mental illness. I don't think they really had to shoot him, but I hope he didn't holler something stupid.''

The plane had arrived from Medellin, Colombia, and was headed to Orlando at 2:18 p.m. but the Orlando-bound leg, American Flight 924, was subsequently canceled, according to the Orlando airport's website.

American Airlines officials did not say how the 113 displaced passengers would get to Orlando.

''None of the other 113 passengers on board were affected or were ever in any danger. This was an isolated incident,'' the airline said in a press release, adding that it would have no other comment.

American Airlines chief operating officer Gerard Arpey, who was at The Herald meeting executives when the shooting occurred, declined to comment.

The airport was never closed. Concourse D, where the incident took place, was shut down for about 30 minutes, said Miami airport spokesman Marc Henderson. Air traffic continued as usual by mid-afternoon.

Police spread the passengers' bags that were to be loaded on American 942 on the tarmac and had dogs sniff them for explosives. The investigation -- by Miami-Dade police homicide detectives and federal officials -- continued Wednesday night.

Herald reporters Cara Buckley, Theresa Bradley, Frank Davies, Rebecca Dellagloria, Tere Figueras Negrete, Steve Harrison, Phil Long, David Ovalle and Jay Weaver and The Associated Press contributed to this report.