No one was hurt, but the terrifying situation created confusion and uncertainty as travelers posted video and photos online showing police at the airport with their weapons drawn.
"Gunman is in custody. Everyone is safe," Orlando police tweeted shortly after 10 p.M.
Glorializ Colón Plaza, 20, told the Orlando Sentinel she was just getting off work from Virgin Atlantic airlines when she saw everyone hiding. She got off the elevator and saw the man on the floor near the rental car area. He was screaming, and cops had surrounded him.
Plaza said she didn't hear any gunshots or see anyone injured.
More From This Section
"I saw all the cops with the long rifles and started shaking," she said. "It didn't seem real."
Earlier this year, authorities say an Alaska man killed five people inside a baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The incident at the Orlando airport was first reported about 7:24 p.M. Officers responded and cleared the first floor of Terminal A, airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell told the Sentinel. The entire terminal was eventually closed.