Neighbors Of Victim React To Security Incident At PHL
By Diana Rocco
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Neighbors tell Eyewitness News that Christopher Shell is a nice guy who talks to everyone and just moved into his South Philadelphia apartment about a month ago.
"He told us it was his birthday and he was going home to visit his family because it's been a year since his mom died," says Rose Zanol.
As Shell boarded flight 1267 Thursday morning Police say he didn't know they were frantically searching flight logs for his name and seat number after a call came in saying he may have explosives. Minutes earlier Shell had posted this on his Facebook page:
"Good morning! I'm not going to lie, I feel Blessed one of my new neighbors works Security at PHL airport, walked me right in str8 though security with a breeze."
"I almost had a heart attack. I didn't know if it was true or who did what. It was very nerve racking," Dean Lewin said.
Lewin works at the airport and got a call from investigators. He drove Shell there and went in with him, but says they didn't get special treatment. "The only thing I did do is walk through with him. We're going to talk about it privately," Lewin said of Shell's Facebook posting.
Investigators located the flight in midair but Shell was in the bathroom, only creating further suspicion.
Shell was pulled from the flight at gun point and that's when he tells investigators "I know what's going on here." He then showed them a series of text messages and voicemails from the ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.
"He seems nice very nice." Zanol said.
