A federal security agent has been killed and
several other people wounded in a shooting at Los
Angeles International Airport, officials say.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said
three of its staff had been injured, one fatally.
The suspect - named by the FBI as 23-year-old Los
Angeles resident Paul Anthony Ciancia - was wounded
by police and detained.
Hundreds of flights nationwide were affected by the
incident.
Paul Ciancia was reportedly carrying a note that
expressed anti-government views
LA Airport police chief Patrick Gannon told reporters a
"lone shooter" came into Terminal 3 at 9:20 local time
(16:20 GMT).
The suspect "pulled an assault rifle out of a bag and
began to open fire in the terminal" inside the nation's
third largest airport, he said.
He then allegedly went to a security screening area and
continued shooting.
"As you can imagine, a large amount of chaos took
place in this entire incident," Mr Gannon said.
It was the first time a TSA officer was killed in the line
of duty, according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
'Suicide text'
The TSA named the killed officer as 39-year-old
Gerardo Hernandez.
Mayor Garcetti said it was fortunate that the authorities
had tackled the suspect because he had been armed
with more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press
that Mr Ciancia was shot in the mouth and leg by two
airport police officers.
According to US media, the alleged gunman
approached potential victims asking if they worked for
the TSA, and spared them if they said no.
He pushed through screening gates and walked more
than 100 yards (90m) into the secure area of the
terminal, Mr Gannon said, where law enforcement
officers caught up with him in a food court.
As he began firing in the terminal, "everybody
pancaked down on the ground", passenger Lauren
Stephens, who was checking in at the time, told Reuters
news agency.
Then, when more shots rang out, "I just left my bag
and I just ran like hell. Everybody ran. People were
falling. People were just trying to help each other out."
Another witness, Leon Saryan, told CNN that the same
man he had just seen shoot a TSA officer "calmly"
walked toward him and asked, "TSA?"
"I just shook my head, and he kept going," Mr Saryan
said.
A number of people were reportedly injured while
fleeing the scene.
Various outlets reported the suspect was carrying a
note that expressed anti-government views.
Little is known about him.
Mr Ciancia's family in New Jersey told police on Friday
they had received a text message from him saying he
planned suicide, report US media.
"Their younger child got a text message from Paul
[Ciancia] stating that there were some comments in
there about his wellbeing and he wanted to possibly
take his own life," a New Jersey police chief, Allen
Cummings, said.
Mr Cummings said he called Los Angeles police, who
sent officers to Mr Ciancia's apartment in the city.
Two roommates of Mr Ciancia told Los Angeles police
on Friday they had seen him the day before and he had
appeared fine, according to Mr Cummings.
A local hospital official told reporters that one of the
injured was listed in a critical condition, while two
other victims were in fair condition.
Some 746 flights nationwide were affected and 46
were diverted because of the incident, said airport
officials.
Terminal 3 remains closed as the investigation
continues.
President Barack Obama expressed concern about the
shooting, but said he would leave law enforcement to
talk about it.
several other people wounded in a shooting at Los
Angeles International Airport, officials say.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said
three of its staff had been injured, one fatally.
The suspect - named by the FBI as 23-year-old Los
Angeles resident Paul Anthony Ciancia - was wounded
by police and detained.
Hundreds of flights nationwide were affected by the
incident.
Paul Ciancia was reportedly carrying a note that
expressed anti-government views
LA Airport police chief Patrick Gannon told reporters a
"lone shooter" came into Terminal 3 at 9:20 local time
(16:20 GMT).
The suspect "pulled an assault rifle out of a bag and
began to open fire in the terminal" inside the nation's
third largest airport, he said.
He then allegedly went to a security screening area and
continued shooting.
"As you can imagine, a large amount of chaos took
place in this entire incident," Mr Gannon said.
It was the first time a TSA officer was killed in the line
of duty, according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
'Suicide text'
The TSA named the killed officer as 39-year-old
Gerardo Hernandez.
Mayor Garcetti said it was fortunate that the authorities
had tackled the suspect because he had been armed
with more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press
that Mr Ciancia was shot in the mouth and leg by two
airport police officers.
According to US media, the alleged gunman
approached potential victims asking if they worked for
the TSA, and spared them if they said no.
He pushed through screening gates and walked more
than 100 yards (90m) into the secure area of the
terminal, Mr Gannon said, where law enforcement
officers caught up with him in a food court.
As he began firing in the terminal, "everybody
pancaked down on the ground", passenger Lauren
Stephens, who was checking in at the time, told Reuters
news agency.
Then, when more shots rang out, "I just left my bag
and I just ran like hell. Everybody ran. People were
falling. People were just trying to help each other out."
Another witness, Leon Saryan, told CNN that the same
man he had just seen shoot a TSA officer "calmly"
walked toward him and asked, "TSA?"
"I just shook my head, and he kept going," Mr Saryan
said.
A number of people were reportedly injured while
fleeing the scene.
Various outlets reported the suspect was carrying a
note that expressed anti-government views.
Little is known about him.
Mr Ciancia's family in New Jersey told police on Friday
they had received a text message from him saying he
planned suicide, report US media.
"Their younger child got a text message from Paul
[Ciancia] stating that there were some comments in
there about his wellbeing and he wanted to possibly
take his own life," a New Jersey police chief, Allen
Cummings, said.
Mr Cummings said he called Los Angeles police, who
sent officers to Mr Ciancia's apartment in the city.
Two roommates of Mr Ciancia told Los Angeles police
on Friday they had seen him the day before and he had
appeared fine, according to Mr Cummings.
A local hospital official told reporters that one of the
injured was listed in a critical condition, while two
other victims were in fair condition.
Some 746 flights nationwide were affected and 46
were diverted because of the incident, said airport
officials.
Terminal 3 remains closed as the investigation
continues.
President Barack Obama expressed concern about the
shooting, but said he would leave law enforcement to
talk about it.
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