LAX Shooting: Terminal 3 Evacuated After Gunman Opens Fire
Terminal 3 at LAX was evacuated this morning after a gunman shot a TSA agent.
The NY Daily News reports that at least one employee was shot at Los Angeles International Airport. The employee has only been identified as a member of the TSA. It is unclear how badly the person is injured.
Two other people may have all been shot, but that report has not been confirmed.
Emergency officials evacuated terminal 3 using buses and shuttles. Photos on Twitter show that passengers at LAX were also brought onto the runway to get away from the shooter.
CBS reports that the gunman has a “high-powered rifle.”
Passenger Robert Perez told CBS that TSA agents started yelling about a man with a gun shortly before shots were fired.
Perez said: “I heard popping and everybody dropped to the ground.”
Bill Reiter, a Fox Sports national columnist, was at LAX at the time of the shooting. Reiter has been updating his Twitter account with news from the incident.
Reiter writes: “When gunfire broke out there was a stampede people, all of us hiding under seats we didn’t fit under, we burst through the door to outside. here are alarms sounding and a police helicopter overhead. People all over the tarmac, getting too close to the planes, being ushered back… Buses moving, taking people away from scene of shooting.”
ABC reports that one man has been taken into custody.
Airport officials confirm police incident began at 9:30 a.m. @ Terminal 3 at LAX. More info to come.
— LAX Airport (@LAX_Official) November 1, 2013
According to reports, ground stop now in effect at LAX after shooting in terminal.
— LAX Airport (@LAX_Official) November 1, 2013
LAX said that planes were still arriving at the airport but that all departures had been delayed.
Other than arriving flights, flight operations have been temporarily held.
— LAX Airport (@LAX_Official) November 1, 2013
