(CelebNMusic247-News) LAX Terminal 3 Shooting Kills 1 and Injures Many
Breaking News happened today at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after a lone gunman went on a shooting spree Killing one TSA Agent and wounded several innocent travelers.
The shooting started at about 9:20 a.m. local time at Terminal 3, which serves Virgin America and other airlines. Ciancia pulled the rifle out of a bag and opened fire at the security checkpoint, then went far into the terminal, where he was captured after a gunfight, authorities said.
When the gunfire erupted, travelers who were waiting to snake through the security line suddenly had to abandon their suitcases and hit the ground.
Here is what police told NBC Philadelphia:
A man carrying anti-government material and an assault rifle shot his way through security at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, killing one Transportation Security Administration worker and wounding as many as three others — after sending a suicidal text message to his family, authorities said.
The gunman who sent travelers diving for cover and fleeing onto the tarmac — identified by law-enforcement officials as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia — was shot by law enforcement and taken into custody in critical condition.
The motive is not clear but it’s believed he had anti-government views based on written materials he was carrying, the officials said. He texted his brother in New Jersey before the shooting and said he was thinking about killing himself, police told NBC Philadelphia.
While these update help to chronicle today events according to The LATimes:
2:25 p.m.: A federal law enforcement official confirmed that police have identified the suspect who allegedly opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday morning as Paul Ciancia.
The official could not confirm Ciancia’s age. The official said police were looking at information that Ciancia “wasn’t a fan of the TSA.”
Authorities believe that Ciancia arrived at a TSA screening area in Terminal 3 at 9:20 a.m., pulled a rifle out of his bag and started shooting. He made his way past the security checkpoint into the terminal and continued shooting.
3:13 p.m. Months before Friday’s shooting at LAX, official removed armed police officers from their permanent assignments protecting TSA checkpoints, one veteran airport police officer told The Times.
Those officers were moved roving patrols in the passenger terminals, said Marshall McClain, an airport police officer and president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Assn.
LAPD officers and Los Angeles airport police were first assigned to the checkpoints after the 9-11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.
Following the attacks, LAX , the nation’s third busiest airport, was designated as a top potential target for terrorists.
McClain said officials at the time were concerned that armed terrorists could easily breach the checkpoints and make their way to the passenger gates and parked aircraft.
LAX officials could not immediately be reached for comment. But in the past, they have added more police across the airport and increased security measures.
McClain said he did not want to speculate why the officers were removed from the checkpoints. He added, however, that the association has been concerned about staffing levels at LAX.
Although roving patrols were started at the beginning of the year, McClain said officers tried to have a response time of two minutes to reach areas of the terminals they were assigned to.
Armed officers had been removed from TSA checkpoints
To recap: A Transportation Security Administration agent was killed and several other people were wounded when a gunman opened fire in a Los Angeles International Airport terminal Friday morning.
Get the report:
LAX shooting suspect identified:
A lone gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle went on a shooting spree Friday at Los Angeles International Airport, killing one person and leaving at least six people injured before the suspect was tracked down and taken into custody.
“We have one deceased,” Capt. Brian Elias of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office told USA TODAY.
Tim Kauffman, a spokesman for the American Federation of Government Employees in Washington, told the Associated Press that the victim who died was a Transportation Security Administration officer. He said the union’s information came from its local officials in Los Angeles. – USAToday
Watch What USAToday had to report:
Of Course, TMZ obtained footage of travelers fleeing terminal 3 after the shooting took place at 9:43AM Friday (Nov 1):
Related articles
