WATCH: The moment terrified LAX passengers run for their lives from airport gunman who opened fire at security checkpoint killing one TSA agent and injuring three
- Paul Anthony Ciancia, aged 23, from Pennsville, New Jersey named as the gunman
- Shooter was dressed in fatigues and carrying a handwritten note, reading that he 'wanted to kill TSA and pigs'
- Police say shooter’s brother got a text message from Ciancia on Friday saying he was thinking about taking his life
- Passengers fled LA International's terminal 3 shortly before 10am (PST) on Friday after shots fired at checkpoint
- TSA agent shot and killed; one other agent was shot and two others were injured but some of those injuries are classified as evasion injuries meaning that they harmed themselves while trying to get out of the terminal
- This is the first time that a TSA agent has ever been killed in the line of duty
- Gunman entered terminal with assault rifle in a bag and began shooting his way through the airport
- Ciancia had sent multiple rambling 'suicidal' text messages to his family in recent days, causing concern
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The terrifying
moment when police began evacuating Los Angeles International Airport
has been captured on video and shows the panic that police and
passengers felt after hearing a string of gunshots.
The
shooter, who has now been identified as Paul Anthony Ciancia, was
apprehended by police after being shot multiple times. Ciancia shot dead
one TSA agent and also injuring five others including fellow agents.
The
gunman has been pictured and is seen handcuffed to a gurney being
escorted out of the airport. He is a resident of Los Angeles but was
raised in Pennsville, New Jersey.
Ciancia
was carrying a high-powered assault rifle as he stalked through
Terminal 3 of the international airport, terrifying passengers and
causing the surrounding buildings to be evacuated.
Initial reports say that Ciancia had 'anti-government' leanings and was reportedly carrying a note which said that he 'wanted to kill TSA and pigs'.
Scroll down for videos
Terror: Horrified passengers flee as shots are
heard in Terminal 3 of Los Angeles International Airport shortly before
10am on Friday
Response: Police are heard telling passengers to
get out of the building as they try to apprehend the suspect after
shooting him multiple times
Pictured: Paul Anthony Ciancia, pictured at
right in his mugshot, is the 23-year-old man who opened fire at Los
Angeles International Airport on Friday morning, killing one TSA agent
and injuring five others
Pictured: Paul Ciancia, 23, is seen here for the
first time since he opened fire inside LAX. He was shot multiple times
by responding officers but he was not killed, as he is seen being
transported- while handcuffed- by police
The
gunman, who was dressed in fatigues and carrying multiple clips of
ammunition, was believed to be acting alone. One witness said that the
shooter walked up to him and simply asked: 'TSA?'
Airport
police chief Patrick Gannon said the shooter came into Terminal 3
around 9.20am, pulled an assault rifle from a bag and opened fire in the
LA terminal. He proceeded up to the screening area, shot his way past
screeners and into the airport, making it as far as a Burger King
restaurant.
Police
fired at the shooter, wounding him before taking him into police
custody. The gunman was one of six people taken to hospital.
The
one fatality has been identified as Gerardo I. Hernandez, a 39-year-old
father-of-two who had been working at Los Angeles airport for the past
three years.
Victim: Gerardo Hernandez, 39, was the one
person who was shot dead in the Friday attack as doctors said that he
did not have a pulse by the time he arrived at the hospital
Friends and family have begun paying
their respects to the slain public servant, saying that he was a loving
husband and caring father who enjoyed spending his free time with his children.
The
shooting makes Hernandez the first TSA agent shot and killed in the
line of duty. One of his colleagues- whose name has not been released-
was also shot in the Friday rampage but that individual is expected to
make a full recovery.
City officials have ordered several
tributes be paid to Hernandez across Los Angeles, as the flags at all
government-owned buildings in the area will be flown at half mast. The LAPD chief has also mandated that all police officers wear black bands on their police badges in his honor.
A
federal official said that it was clear from a note that they found in
Ciancia's bag at the airport that he expected to die in the standoff.
'This was clearly a suicide mission... he did not expect to walk away from this,' the official told USA Today.
The TSA agent was reportedly killed when the gunman
opened fire at the desk where he was checking passengers’ passports and
boarding cards.
The Los Angeles Times
reported that in a note found in his bag, he wrote about his 'disappointment with
government' and how he did not intend to injure any civilians, only
federal employees. Witness Stephanie Rosemeyer told the paper that she was waiting to board a flight and was walking near the food court in Terminal 3 when she saw a man carrying a gun walking around while wearing a bulletproof vest.
She said that she locked eyes with the man, who did not appear to be a police officer.
'He looked back at me and said "I don't like this." I took a step toward him,' she told The LA Times.
The man, who is presumably Ciancia, then shouted an expletive about the TSA.
'I decided to walk away, and then I heard gun shots and so I walked faster,' Ms Rosemeyer said.
Waiting for action: At first officers told the
people in the terminal to 'get down' and take cover but that quickly
progressed into a state of evacuation
Police officers on the scene at LAX next to a gun. One person has been confirmed dead in the shooting
A TSA officer (pictured in the center) gets
medical attention after several people were wounded by gunfire at Los
Angeles International Airport on Friday by a lone gunman armed with an
assault rifle
Los Angeles International Airport is locked down today following reports of a shooting at a security checkpoint
'I was just getting ready to pick up my shoes and belt and pick up my other stuff... (when) people hit the ground and then started to run,' Mr Saryan told CNN.
He said that while he was going to get his shoes taht were waiting on the conveyer belt, a uniformed TSA agent 'grabbed the shoes and the two of us started running down the corridor towards the gate. This agent got hit it seemed to be a grazing wound.'
WHAT DOES NWO MEAN?
The
motive for the Friday morning shooting has not been confirmed, but a
note thought to be written by the gunman is shedding some light on his
thought process.
Shooter Paul Anthony Ciancia had 'anti-government' leanings and was reportedly carrying a note which said that he 'wanted to kill TSA and pigs'.
The Los Angeles Times reported that in a note found in his bag, he wrote about his 'disappointment with government' and how he did not intend to injure any civilians, only federal employees.
Sources also added that the note was signed with the letters 'NWO' which stands for 'New World Order'.
The conspiracy theory of a 'new world order' asserts that there is a secret group of powerful individuals who used their money and global influence to eventually gain control of the world.
The concept of the New World Order has many different strains that have evolved over time, and has come to include mysterious elite groups like the Illuminati and the Freemasons.
Some of the more radical conspiracy theorists believe that the secret members of the New World Order will order a coordinated coup d'etat in the United States and other powerful countries using black helicopters and implement a totalitarian regime to control the world.
Shooter Paul Anthony Ciancia had 'anti-government' leanings and was reportedly carrying a note which said that he 'wanted to kill TSA and pigs'.
The Los Angeles Times reported that in a note found in his bag, he wrote about his 'disappointment with government' and how he did not intend to injure any civilians, only federal employees.
Sources also added that the note was signed with the letters 'NWO' which stands for 'New World Order'.
The conspiracy theory of a 'new world order' asserts that there is a secret group of powerful individuals who used their money and global influence to eventually gain control of the world.
The concept of the New World Order has many different strains that have evolved over time, and has come to include mysterious elite groups like the Illuminati and the Freemasons.
Some of the more radical conspiracy theorists believe that the secret members of the New World Order will order a coordinated coup d'etat in the United States and other powerful countries using black helicopters and implement a totalitarian regime to control the world.
'(Suspect Paul Ciancia) looked at me and said "TSA?" I just shook my head and he kept going,' Mr Saryan told Anderson Cooper.
'It was kind of hard to see his expression. I was more focused on the weapon.
'If I had a TSA uniform I wouldn't be here talking to you.'
Initial reports said that seven people were injured in the terminal with six transferred to hospital but an afternoon press conference reaffirmed that only three people were injured aside from the male TSA agent who was killed. Three victims were being treated at UCLA Medical Center, where one is listed in critical condition and two others were in fair condition.
Police say the shooter’s brother got a text message from Ciancia on Friday saying he was thinking about taking his own life.
According to ABC, Ciancia's brother received a 'worrying' text from him before the shooting, and after that message was relayed to his father, the father called the local police station to warn them of the possible threat to his own life. His father Paul to reached out to local Pennsville police in New Jersey who in turn contacted LA authorities.
CNN reports that his text to his brother was not the first one that he had sent in recent days that scared family members. In others, which were sent to his brother and father, Ciancia was said to have rambled about his negative outlook on life, his disgust with the government and his disappointment with his life in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles police officers went to Ciancia's apartment in California for a welfare check, and spoke to the 23-year-old's roommate before reporting back to headquarters that there was nothing to be worried about.
LAPD officials called Pennsville police Chief Allen Cummings after making the welfare check and said that everything okay- not knowing that as that phone call was being made, Ciancia had begun opening fire at LAX.
At a lunchtime news conference, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti described it as a 'static' situation with no other threats at the airport. Mayor Garcetti thanked the first responders from multiple law enforcement agencies for their courage. The mayor gave limited information due to the large scale of the ongoing investigation.
During the investigation, being led by the FBI, a large box of ammunition was found on airport grounds.
SWAT teams, bomb disposal and emergency responders rushed to the scene although many vehicles were slowed down by the clogged LA traffic. Dozens of ambulances and fire engines formed lines in front of the terminal building.
Terminal 3 is still on lockdown with the rest of LAX operating at around 50 per cent. Flights continued to take off through terminals 4-8 on the south side of the airport on Friday.
Armed response: The LA Police Department is
taking the lead on the investigation but SWAT teams were a major
presence in the area as the terminal was being searched after the
shooting
Tragic: A TSA agent is comforted after the
shooting outside of Terminal 1. The only confirmed fatality was a TSA
agent, but that individual's name has not been released
Passengers flee LAX today amid reports of shots
fired. Three people were injured excluding the gunman who was shot
multiple times but is still alive
Brian Adamick, 43, who was boarding a Spirit Airlines flight to Chicago told the LA Times said people ran screaming through emergency exits on the tarmac away from an area where shots were being fired.
Mr Adamick said buses showed up to evacuate those in the airport - including a TSA agent who had been shot but was reassuring everyone that he was fine.
TV personality Tory Bellecci, who presents Mythbusters, tweeted: ‘Heard gun shots then everyone starting running for the door. Not sure if anyone was hurt. #LAX.’
History: Ciancia is a New Jersey native but recently moved to Los Angeles before the shooting
Relatives of the 23-year-old are being sought out by police in New Jersey, where his father owns an auto repair shop
Motivation: Police are still actively
investigating the crime, but shooter Paul Ciancia reportedly had a note
saying that he wanted 'to kill TSA and pigs'
Witness Nick Pugh told NBC Los Angeles: ‘We were just
standing there and someone started shooting. I heard a total of maybe eight or
10 shots fired.’
Fox Sports reporter
Bill Reiter who was at terminal tweeted: 'First came the gunfire. Then
people including me hiding our seats. It felt very Columbine. A new kind
of fear, at least for me.'
Virgin passengers were locked inside the airline’s lounge. Mythbusters co-star Grant Imahar tweeted: ‘Virgin promptly
locked the lounge doors. About ten minutes later, LAPD armed with automatic
weapons arrived to secure the area.’
Getting them out: One TSA officer, identified as
Gerardo Hernandez (not pictured above), was killed and three others
were injured in the attack
Treating the injured: A visibly injured TSA
agent is escorted out by responding officers as well as a man in a
wheelchair. It is unclear what exactly happened to the TSA agent and it
is not known if he was one of the agents who was shot by the gunman
A man is led away by police in handcuffs from
Los Angeles International on Friday following the shooting. It is
unclear where this man is a suspect
Passengers with their luggage leave LAX after a
suspect believed to be armed with an assault rifle opened fire inside
Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International
Passengers pictured at LAX today following the
fatal shooting at Terminal 3. The airport was placed on lock down and
flights redirected to other airports
Travel chaos ensued at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday following the shooting
FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING, TRAVEL CHAOS AT LAX
Hundreds
of flights to and from Los Angeles International have been cancelled or
delayed after today's shooting brought the airport to a standstill.
Flights to LAX are being grounded at airports they are leaving from. Some flights already en route have been redirected to other California airports.
At present, planes are landing and taking off from LAX terminals 4-8.
Transportation officials announced at noon to follow the official airport Twitter - @LAX_official - and for travelers to check with individual airlines for the most up-to-date information.
The roads around LAX have also been shut down. Some travelers arriving at the airport have reported having to walk miles to rent a car, catch a cab or meet family. Others have been abandoning their cars on the road and walking to the airport with luggage.
Flights to LAX are being grounded at airports they are leaving from. Some flights already en route have been redirected to other California airports.
At present, planes are landing and taking off from LAX terminals 4-8.
Transportation officials announced at noon to follow the official airport Twitter - @LAX_official - and for travelers to check with individual airlines for the most up-to-date information.
The roads around LAX have also been shut down. Some travelers arriving at the airport have reported having to walk miles to rent a car, catch a cab or meet family. Others have been abandoning their cars on the road and walking to the airport with luggage.
Ashley Collman
Terrified passengers were escorted to safety after the area was secured, where empty gun cartridges littered the ground. One passenger told NBC he saw a stain on the ground that he thought might be blood.
Terminal 3 has a mix of domestic and international flight departures. Los Angeles International is the U.S's third largest airport. AirTran, Alaska, Horizon, JetBlue, V Australia and Virgin America all operate from the terminal.
Last month, an airport employee was arrested in connection with dry ice explosions at LAX. One dry ice bomb exploded and two soda bottles containing the dangerous material were found at Terminal 3 in a restricted area.
More is beginning to emerge about the shooter, painting a picture of the young man who killed the first TSA agent in U.S. history.
Neighbor Whitney Hankins, 18, who went to Pennsville Memorial High School with Ciancia, said the family were very quiet and kept to themselves, especially after the 2009 death of mother Susan, who suffered from MS for years.
‘I didn’t know him personally as he was a few years older than me,’ she told MailOnline today. ‘But I would see him around school and the neighbourhood. He was kinda strange, very quiet and shy. Wouldn’t really make eye contact or talk much.
'Though I would never have expected him to do anything like this. Some of the girls on the street called him ''the creepy guy.'''
Whitney said in the tight-knit, middle-class neighborhood, the Ciancia’s house was set back into the woods and was ‘humungous’ compared to others on the street. A police presence was in front of the New Jersey family home this evening.
Miss Hankins added: ‘We just assumed they were really wealthy because they have a really big house compared to the others and his dad owns an auto shop up the street. It’s a really small town and everyone knows everyone else’s business. But everyone just kind of left them alone after the mom died.’
Passengers wait for Los Angeles International
Airport to reopen at Terminal 1 on Friday following a gunman going on a
shooting spree at terminal 3
Map of Los Angeles International Airport where a man opened fire at a TSA checkpoint in Terminal 3
Passengers are directed outside Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday after shots were fired in Terminal 3
Emergency crews set up outside of LAX as passengers evacuate the area following the shooting at around 10am on Friday morning
Emergency responders load someone who appears to be injured into an ambulance at LAX International on Friday morning
Fire and rescue personnel gather at Los Angeles
International Airport on Friday after reports of multiple injuries
following a shooting
Read more:
- Live: Gunman in LAX shooting is killed; TSA officer also dead, others wounded
- TSA Agent Fatally Shot, Others Wounded In Shooting At LAX - CBS Los Angeles
- TSA Employee Killed, 3 Injured in LAX Shooting
- Shooting at Los Angeles airport
- Alleged LAX gunman identified as Paul Ciancia from Pennsville, New Jersey
- Gunman opens fire at LAX, killing TSA worker and wounding others
- LAX shooting: Gunman left anti-government note, targeted TSA
- FBI: 23-year-old L.A. man is suspect in airport shooting that kills TSA officer
- LAX shooting suspect made suicidal references to family
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