Witness: Got off plane, heard gunfire
01:55 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

A suicide note says the shooter had a "monster within"

The gunman's brother said the gunman had indicated a wish for police to kill him

The gunman's actions showed he did not intend to hurt others, police say

CNN  — 

The gunman who fired shots into the ceiling of a Houston airport on Thursday left behind a suicide note saying he had a “monster within” and he wanted police to stop him before he hurt others, police said Friday.

The man, identified as Carnell Marcus Moore, 29, of Beaumont, Texas, shot himself fatally in the temple as he was confronted by a Homeland Security officer at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport on Thursday afternoon.

Moore had gone to the airport with the intention of suicide and left a note inside a suitcase he carried into the terminal, police officials said at news conference Friday morning.

“The monster within me was getting stronger and while I could not save myself I could save others,” Houston Police Sgt. Brian Harris said Moore’s suicide note read.

Police said Moore’s action inside the area near the United ticket counter in the airport’s Terminal B showed he did not intend to hurt others.

Moore spent just over an hour in the departure area before drawing a Glock semi-automatic pistol and firing two shots into the ceiling, Harris said. He was then approached by the Homeland Security officer, who fired on Moore and wounded him in the right shoulder, Harris said.

Police said Moore’s brother told them that about a month ago, Moore had expressed a desire to confront a police officer and implied he wanted police to kill him.

On Tuesday, Moore tried to kidnap a woman co-worker from the Beaumont apartment complex where he worked after she rejected his romantic advances, police said. She, however, talked Moore out of taking her to Houston.

Moore then made the 90-minute drive himself, checked into a Houston hotel, and spent Wednesday there, police said.

During that time he posted messages on Facebook saying, “This Life Will Crash Tomorrow!” and “I recently had the chance of staring death in the face, and she was beautiful,” CNN affiliate KHOU reported.

In addition to the pistol, Moore had an AR-15 rifle in the suitcase he took to the airport Thursday, but he did not take that weapon out, police said.

“We’re very, very fortunate the individual suspect didn’t kill or injure any victims,” Houston police Chief Charles McClelland said Friday.