Passengers Removed From Flight At Baltimore Airport

Four passengers were removed from a Spirit Airlines flight at Baltimore's BWI Airport on Tuesday after "suspicious activity" aboard the plane, the airline said.

Checks of the three men and a woman and their baggage found nothing suspicious and they were released without charges, the source said.

Spirit said that the incident took place when flight 969 from BWI Airport to Chicago O'Hare was taxiing to the runway.

"A passenger alerted a flight attendant of a passenger engaged in suspicious activity on board," it said. The plane returned to the gate, and police removed the four.

The government source said a female passenger who appeared to be Muslim was watching a video on her phone that another passenger thought was from Islamic State. The militant group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris on Friday that killed 129 people.

WJLA television in Washington reported that the four passengers appeared to be in their early 30s and of Middle Eastern ancestry. They were carrying several backpacks.