LAX Shooting: Airport Slowly Getting Back to Normal

Update, 5 p.m. Flights to and from LAX are still experiencing delays. From the LAX Twitter feed:

746 flights affected, 46 flights diverted. Flights tomorrow out of T3 please contact airline for details

— LAX Airport (@LAX_Official) November 1, 2013

The Los Angeles Times says authorities found a note next to the man who allegedly opened fire at Terminal 3 this morning:

In the note, Paul Ciancia, 23, expressed “his disappointment with government” and said he had no intent to target or harm people he considered innocent bystanders, one source told The Times.

The source added that during the attack, Ciancia allegedly asked people if they were TSA employees.

“He was only interested in TSA,” the source said.

A federal law enforcement official added that Ciancia “wasn’t a fan of the TSA.”

Leon Saryan of Greenfield, Wisc., told Mikwaukee radio station WTMJ that he was approached by the gunman.

“He looked at me and he said ‘TSA?’ and I shook my head and he just kept going,” he said.

Update 1:40 p.m. Law enforcement officials are identifying the LAX shooting suspect as 23-year-old Paul Ciancia.

The Washington Post says the Transportation Security Administration issued a statement saying that “multiple” security officers at the Los Angeles airport were shot and confirming that one of these officers was killed.

John Pistole, administrator of the TSA, also sent out an email to employees a short time ago:

I am deeply saddened to inform you that a TSA employee was shot and killed today while on duty at Los Angeles International Airport. Other TSA employees also were injured in the shooting.

The gunman is in custody and we working with local law enforcement to help ensure the safety of our employees.

At a press conference earlier today, Los Angeles Airport Police said that at about 9:20 this morning, a lone gunman pulled an assault weapon from a bag, and then shot his way past airport screeners and the security checkpoint at Terminal 3 before he was stopped outside a Burger King by airport police. Several people were wounded.

Los Angeles Police Department police chief Chief Charlie Beck did not speak about the nature of the injuries or the identities of the victims. Seven people were treated by the LAPD; six were transported to the hospital. The FBI is investigating and will release more details once they are known.

Multiple news sources, including the Associated Press, CNN, the Los Angeles Times, CBS 2/KCAL 9 and others, are reporting that one TSA agent is dead, as well as the gunman.

The latest on airport conditions and flights is on the LAX Twitter feed: @LAX_official. LAX is still accepting incoming some flights, but about half of what is normal. Most outgoing flights have been grounded. An airport spokeswoman said that “every flight out of LAX will be significantly late today.”

Tweets about local travel to LAX:

Some passengers in #SanJose diverted from flights due to #LAXShooting scrambling. Some flights also canceled. @ktvu pic.twitter.com/SSIiSALn7X

— RobertHanda (@RHandaKTVU) November 1, 2013

SFO says Virgin America and Southwest are hardest hit by LAX delays: they fly out of the terminal that shut down. pic.twitter.com/ests7ulsdR

— Jonathan Bloom (@BloomTV) November 1, 2013

Original post:

The FAA has halted flights into LAX after the shooting of a TSA agent and possibly others. The shooting took place at Terminal 3, according to Los Angeles Police. Terminal 3 has been evacuated.

CBS 2 KCAL 9 in Los Angeles said that “A gunman with a high-powered rifle was reportedly shot and secured by law enforcement personnel around 9:30 a.m., according to CBS2′s Mike Case.

A TSA employee was reportedly shot in the leg in addition to two other people, however, CBS2/KCAL9 has not been able to confirm that report.

Terminal 3 was evacuated and cordoned off and arrival and departure roads to the airport, in addition to Century Boulevard, were closed.”

Airlines at Terminal 3:

• Allegiant Air
• Frontier
• JetBlue
• Spirit
• Virgin America
• Virgin Australia