Gunman Targets TSA Employees At LAX; One Dead, Six Hospitalized
UPDATE 4:10pmEST:Multiple reports that suspect Paul Anthony Ciancia had anti-government writings on his person at the shooting scene.
UPDATE 4:00pmEST: CNN reports that seven TSA agents have been shot at LAX Terminal 3, with one dead. TSA confirms that the shooter pulled an automatic weapon out of a bag at a checkpoint and began shooting. The suspect, Paul Anthony Ciancia, is not a former TSA employee and did not have a connection with the agency, as had been reported by some news outlets earler.
UPDATE 3:54pmEST:MSNBC eyewitness reports a suspected gunman who opened fire at LAX “has been caught.” He is identified as Paul Anthony Ciancia, age 23, and was himself shot in the chest. There is also an unconfirmed report given by an eyewitness to CNN that one person is dead.
First reports described an incident at Los Angeles International Airport by an individual who opened fire with a high-powered gun at a security checkpoint, and Terminal 3 was evacuated.
A TSA spokesperson told NBC4 the shooting occurred at a security checkpoint. A traveler told NBC4 she heard gunfire in Tom Bradley Terminal, where she was preparing to board a flight to Mexico aboard Virgin America.
LAPD issued a tactical alert. Aerial video showed travelers running from the Tom Bradley Terminal, where passengers depart and arrive for international flights.
Aerial video showed officers escorting people — some in wheelchairs — from the terminal. Several ambulances responded to the location on the departure level.
