A lone gunman opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport in California early Friday, killing at least one person, injuring several more and prompting authorities to evacuate a major terminal at LAX.
At a press conference late Friday morning, officials confirmed that they had taken into custody a suspect believed to be responsible for a rampage that started around 9:20 a.m. local time.
The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Paul Ciancia of Los Angeles, according to federal officials who spoke to NBC. The gunman was initially reported dead at the scene but multiple sources now say that he is in critical condition.
Authorities have not formally announced any casualties, but the Los Angeles Times and NBC News have both reported that a federal agent employed by the Transportation Security Administration was shot and killed during the ordeal.
During the press briefing, acting Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jim Featherstone said seven people had been treated on the scene, six of whom had also been transported to an area hospital. At least one of the people injured was in critical condition and another two were known to have suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Large sections of the airport had initially been locked down during and immediately after the shooting, and although a full security sweep has been conducted on the premises, officials expect delays to linger throughout the day. By Friday afternoon, 133 flights had been canceled (68 departures and 65 arrivals) and another 293 flights delayed (139 arrivals and 154 departures), according to the travel monitoring site FlightStats.
Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon told reporters that the suspect entered terminal 3 and “Pulled an assault rifle out of a bag and began to open fire.”
“He proceeded up into the screening area where TSA screeners are and continued shooting and went past the screeners back into the airport itself,” Gannon said.
Eyewitnesses say they heard anywhere between eight and 30 shots when the incident unfolded.
Personnel officers from the Los Angeles Airport Police responded immediately, Gannon said, then tracked the individual through the airport and engaged in gunfire before taking him into custody.
Travelers panicked as the first shots rang out, with those making it past the security gate rushing onto the tarmac or ducking into restaurants.
“We just hit the desk. Everybody in the line hit the floor and shots just continued,” Xavier Savant, who was waiting in the security line at the time, told AP. He described the sound of the shooting as “Bam! Bam! Bam!”
Pete Williams of NBC News said Ciancia seemed to target TSA agents and that he may have had some connection with the agent who was killed. An American citizen, Ciancia was not reported to be classified as a potential threat on any watch list or state database.
“We’re told that he had strong anti-government views,” Williams said. “That’s based on some written material that we’re told he was carrying, that they found on him after he was shot by LA airport police. So, it would seem to be a combination of anti-government views and some kind of grudge against the TSA.”
A police source told AP that Ciancia is from New Jersey and was carrying a bag with a hand-written note indicating he “wanted to kill TSA and pigs.”
Ciancia recently sent a text message to his brother in which he admitted he was considering committing suicide, according to NBC New York.
Pennsville Police Chief Allen Cummings said someone from the Ciancia family previously sought police help locating Paul after receiving a text “in reference to him taking his own life.” Cummings said he contacted the Los Angeles police and a car was sent to Ciancia’s apartment on Thursday. The suspect’s roommates reportedly said he seemed fine.
CBS’s John Miller initially reported that the suspected gunman was wearing camouflage clothing when he entered the area and may have been purposely targeting TSA workers. Preliminary reports suggested that the shooter may have been a disgruntled former TSA employee, but Chief Gannon told reporters that he could not confirm allegations that the suspect was a federal worker.