Now reports are differing as to whether the shooter is alive or dead, and whether the TSA agent is alive or dead - which is typical of the early news coverage conlicting info early in such tragedies.
Multiple People Shot at LAX; Shooter in Custody
A TSA agent was shot and several others were injured at Los Angeles International Airport Friday morning, and a suspect was in custody after a massive police response.
response
A massive police and emergency response was continuing at LAX Friday morning after multiple people were shot. (Credit: KTLA)
Two or three people were wounded following the shooting in the area of Terminal 3 at about 9:30 a.m., L.A. police Detective Gus Villanueva said.
“There was a guy downstairs who started shooting. One guy fell down. Panic erupted,” said a passenger and witness who gave his name as Alex.
The shooter appeared to have a rifle, said Alex, who witnessed the incident while in a security line on the second level of Terminal 3.
“Short guy … bald, short hair, gray-green clothes, with a rifle,” Alex said.
The shooter then came up the escalator up and fired more shots in the security checkpoint area, Alex reported.
“The security checkpoint kind of cleared out real fast,” Alex said. “He walked quite slowly inside the terminal, toward the gates.”
A Transportation Security Administration agent was shot, a spokesperson for the agency said.
A suspect was in custody after wounding multiple victims, the airport said on Twitter. An image posted from inside Terminal 3 showed a rifle on the ground in a gate area along with what appeared to be bloody clothing.
The Federal Aviation Administration had grounded flights, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Twitter, but a spokesman for the FAA said no firm information was available.
An FAA flight map showed flights coming into LAX were being delayed, and the airport’s Twitter account said departing flights had been stopped. Vehicle traffic was also stopped.
Officers could be seen with guns drawn, and one person could be seen being placed into an ambulance.
Dozens of emergency vehicles, including rescue ambulances were on scene. Terminals 2 and 3 appeared to be affected.
A citywide tactical alert was scaled down to LAPD’s West Bureau only, according to LAPD on Twitter.
Travelers were being moved quickly along a terminal, aerial video showed. Passengers were deplaning, aerial video showed.
The California Highway Patrol cautioned people to stay away from the area and said that Century Boulevard was closed.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
LAC
Read more: http://ktla.com/2013/11/01/police-responding-to-major-incident-at-lax/#ixzz2jQ5m1M5c
