Live: LAX shooting: ‘Multiple victims’ hit; at least 7 hurt

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Los Angeles Airport Police Department Officer Fritz Corros stands in silence as an honor guard at the makeshift memorial to fallen TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Transportation Security Administration employees observe a moment of silence on Friday at 9:20 a.m., the same time of last Friday’s shooting that left TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez dead. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles Airport police Officer Fritz Corros stands in silence as an honor guard at the makeshift memorial to fallen TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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TSA employees embrace after observing a moment of silence at LAX. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Airport workers embrace in Terminal 3 after a memorial service for a slain TSA officer. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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A shoulder patch is among the items at the makeshift memorial for slain TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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LAX Airport Police officer Tom Dye passes the U.S. Honor Flag to TSA honor guard Brandy Richards as it arrives at LAX in memory of TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez on Wednesday. The Honor Flag will be used at Hernandez’s upcoming funeral services. (Brad Graverson / Getty Images)

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Honor guards escort a U.S. National Honor Flag from an airline jet in a ceremony to memorialize TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez, who was fatally shot at LAX. (David McNew / Getty Images)

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The U.S. Honor Flag is carried during a procession through Terminal 4 at LAX in memory of TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez. (Brad Graverson / Getty Images)

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A motorcade, consisting of members of the L.A. Police Department, L.A. Fire Department, and honor guards with the Transportation Security Administration, carries a U.S. National Honor Flag in memory of TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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A TSA officer wipes her eyes as an honor guard escorts a U.S. National Honor Flag in a ceremony to memorialize TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez, who was fatally shot at LAX. (David McNew / Getty Images)

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TSA agents Blandina Beltran,left, and Wessane Legesse, right, comfort each other at a candlelight vigil for their co-worker slain TSA agent Gerardo I. Hernandez at Dockweiler State Beach on November 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Beltran and Legesse both work in Terminal 3 at LAX. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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TSA shooting victim Tony Grigsby is consoled by his mother, Faye Maye, during a news conference Monday n Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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TSA shooting victim Tony Grigsby, escorted by his mother, Faye Maye, left, and grandmother Juanita Davis, walks slowly away from the media after a press conference Monday in Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Passengers continue through the screening area in LAX Terminal Three on Monday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Transportation Security Administration agents help travelers with baggage to check for screening at LAX Terminal Two on Monday morning after a deadly shooting Friday at Terminal Three caused mass delays and cancellations. A Transportation Security Administration agent was killed and several other people were wounded when a gunman opened fire in the Los Angeles International Airport terminal Friday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Transportation Security Administration agents embrace in front of Terminal 3 at LAX on Monday. Three days after a fellow agent was killed and several others wounded. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Transportation Security Administration agents help travelers with their luggage. Suspect Paul Anthony Ciancia’s family family notified Los Angeles police Friday morning after receiving text messages from the 23-year-old that made them concerned about his well-being. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Passengers and Transportation Security Administration walk past a memorial of flowers at LAX on Monday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Flowers for slain TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez at LAX Terminal 3. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles Airport Police Officer Dan Keehne and his canine partner keep an eye on passengers in Terminal 3. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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TSA officers are in very somber mood at the Terminal 3 check-in area. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Ana Hernandez, widow of slain TSA officer Gerardo I. Hernandez, makes a statement Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Airport police Officer Dan Keehne patrols Terminal 3 with his canine partner. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Travelers wait to check in as construction workers take down tarp that prevented people from looking at the crime scene. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles airport staff members attend to a passenger who was trying get in through a closed entrance at Terminal 3. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles Airport police patrol with dogs in Terminal 3 a day after the shooting. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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TSA agents spend a quiet moment on a bridge that leads to Terminal 3. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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A TSA agent is absorbed in thought as he walks through Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport. (Genaro Molina/ Los Angeles Times)

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Law enforcement including the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department and LAX Airport Police gather in Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport. A Transportation Security Administration agent was killed and several other people were wounded when a gunman opened fire at the airport. The attack caused widespread chaos, delaying flights and stranding thousands of passengers. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Liza Espiritu, right, rests on her luggage while joining hundreds of passengers who wait to get permission to try to make their flights. Espiritu and her husbvand, Eric, standing behind her, were traveling from Manila with a stop at LAX en route to Phoenix. (Genaro Molina/ Los Angeles Times)

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After hours of waiting, passengers are allowed to enter LAX. They were held at the entrance to the arrival section of LAX. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Travelers make their toward LAX on one of the main roads into the airport. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Joseph Heyward, 87, right, and his wife get help with their luggage and a ride from Los Angeles firefighters. (Genaro Molina/ Los Angeles Times)

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Passengers wait outside Terminal 1 at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 1, 2013, after a Transportation Security Administration agent was shot and killed and three other people were wounded when a gunman opened fire in Terminal 3. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck talks with other responders at Los Angeles International Airport. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)

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The attack at LAX caused widespread chaos at the airport, with flights delayed and thousand of passengers left stranded on the streets in and around the airport. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Security presence outside Terminal 2 at LAX after a Transportation Security Administration agent was shot and several other people were wounded when a gunman opened fire in Terminal 3 Friday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Passengers wait outside Terminal 1 at LAX. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Passengers and airline personnel exit LAX after a Transportation Security Administration agent was shot and killed. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Passengers wait for Terminal 1 to reopen after a shooting at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. (Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

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A passenger trundles his bag behind him outside LAX, where thousands of people were evacuated after a gunman opened fire in Terminal 3. (Michael Nelson / EPA)

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A police offer stretches crime scene tape across the road leading to Terminal 3 after Friday morning’s shooting. (Michael Nelson / EPA)

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Police stand guard outside Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport. (Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

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Passengers evacuated from LAX terminals walk with their luggage after a gunman opened fire inside Terminal 3. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

By Richard Winton, Brian Bennett, Joel Rubin, Joseph Serna, Ari Bloomkatz, Samantha Schaefer, Kate Mather, Matt Stevens and Laura J. Nelson

Nov. 1, 2013 12:33 PM PT

LAX shooting: The latest

A gunman armed with a high-powered rifle opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday morning, killing a TSA agent and wounding several others, authorities said.

Authorities said the gunman fired at several locations in Terminal 3 before police shot him. LAX police did not reveal his condition.

[Updated at 1 p.m.: The Times earlier reported that the suspect was dead. But sources have since told the paper that he is in critical condition.]

The motive was unclear. A federal law enforcement official said that the gunman was a ticketed passenger entering the airport.

MORE: Eyewitness accounts of LAX shooting

Officials don’t believe the gunman has ever worked for TSA. Law enforcement sources had earlier told The Times that the gunman was a TSA employee.

Los Angeles Police Department anti-terrorism officials were on the scene, but sources said they believe the suspect acted alone and was not tied to any known terrorist group.

At a news conference, the Los Angeles Fire Department said it treated seven people at the scene and transported six to local hospitals.

Patrick Gannon, the LAX police chief, said the gunman entered Terminal 3 at 9:20 a.m. He pulled an assault rifle out of his bag and began firing. He moved into the screening area and continued shooting, Gannon said. He got past the checkpoint and moved further into the terminal.

Authorities tracked him down and shot him near a Burger King.

Vernon Cardenas, 45, of West Hollywood said he was at the airport on his way to Philadelphia when the shooting occurred.
“Sitting down, all of a sudden, literally just out of the blue, you hear a rumble in the background and a couple of seconds later, people are running at me,” said Cardenas, who does casting for the Fox television show “MasterChef.” He described the scene as “mayhem,” with couples crying and parents who couldn’t find their children.

Brian Adamick, 43, said he was boarding a Spirit Airlines flight to Chicago at Gate 32 when a commotion erupted.

He said people were running through the terminal, away from a security area. Adamick said he went through an emergency exit downstairs onto the tarmac with several other passengers.

“While I was on the tarmac, I heard two gunshots from the same area where the people had been running and screaming,” he said.

A few minutes after he got outside, he said buses showed up to help evacuate passengers. He said he saw a wounded TSA agent board one of the buses. The man’s ankle was bloody: “it looked like it was straight out of the movies,” Adamick said.

The man told him, “I got shot, I’m fine.” He told passengers not to worry about him and that he had been shot before, Adamick said.

A White House official said President Obama had been informed of the incident: “The President has been briefed about the shooting at LAX. We will continue to stay in touch with our federal and local partners. The LAPD is leading the response and investigation. We urge citizens to listen to the authorities and follow directions from the first responders on site. The president will continue to receive briefings throughout the day.”

Tory Belleci of the television show “Mythbusters” tweeted: “Heard gun shots then everyone starting running for the door. Not sure if anyone was hurt. #LAX.”

TV news footage showed dozens of officers swarming the airport. Images also showed a law enforcement officer being treated by paramedics. He appeared to be alert. Another officer had a bloody hand.

Earlier coverage

12:17 p.m.: A federal law enforcement official said that the gunman was a ticketed passenger entering the airport. Officials don’t believe the gunman has ever worked for TSA. Law enforcement sources had earlier told The Times the gunman was a TSA employee.

12:05 p.m.: FBI: “We do not see any threats” at LAX at this time.

12:03 p.m. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck: Police will not discuss nature of injuries, any details about the suspect. Case being handled by FBI.

12:02 p.m.: Seven people treated by LAFD. Six transported to hospitals.

12:01 p.m.: LAX says some flights diverted to Ontario. Latest updates on flight schedule can be found on Twitter. @lax_official. Flights will be significantly delayed.

12:00 p.m.: Gannon said “multiple victims” have been shot. He did not provide further details.

11:58 a.m.: Patrick Gannon, LAX police chief: Suspect pulled rifle out of bag, opened fire in several locations. Police tracked suspect down, shot him in Terminal 3. He was taken into custody. “At this point be believe this was a lone shooter,” he said.

11:56 a.m.: Garcetti: People should stay away from LAX, even those with flights this afternoon.

11:55 a.m.: Garcetti: Situation at LAX now “static.”

11:50 a.m. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Twitter that planes at LAX are now departing from several terminals. But no new passengers are being allowed into LAX.

11:36 a.m.: Law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that the gunman was a Transportation Security Administration employee at LAX. The gunman was killed by authorities after he opened fire Friday morning. He allegedly shot and killed a fellow TSA employee.

11:20 a.m. The gunman who opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday morning, killing a TSA agent, is dead, law enforcement sources told The Times.

No details about how he died were available. Law enforcement sources said investigators were trying to determine whether the gunman worked at LAX.

Los Angeles Police Department anti-terrorism officials were on the scene, but sources said they don’t believe the suspect was tied to any known terrorist groups.

MORE: Eyewitness accounts of LAX shooting

11:10 a.m. A federal law enforcement official said that a TSA officer was shot and killed at a passenger screening checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport. Three or four other TSA employees were injured in the shooting, the official said.

A suspect was in custody, the official said. The LAPD has taken control of the investigation and the crime scene, the official said. At this stage, the suspect does not seem to have a connection to a terrorist organization, and investigators were working to determine the motivation for the attack.

“This is a fluid situation,” the law enforcement official said.

A second federal source confirmed to The Times that the TSA officer was killed.

11:07 a.m.: A news conference at LAX is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., according to the LAPD.

11 a.m.: SHOOTING AT LAX, EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT: Vernon Cardenas, 45, of West Hollywood said he was at the airport on his way to Philadelphia when the shooting occurred about 9:30 a.m. in Terminal 3.

“Sitting down, all of a sudden, literally just out of the blue, you hear a rumble in the background and a couple of seconds later, people are running at me,” said Cardenas, who does casting for the Fox television show “MasterChef.” He described the scene as “mayhem,” with couples crying and parents who couldn’t find their children.

10:55 a.m.: Traffic in and around LAX is jammed. LAX passengers, some with children and luggage, fill sidewalks.

10:50 a.m.: A law enforcement source said that the gunman had a high-powered rifle and that at least three people were wounded, including one TSA agent.The suspect was in custody. Police looked for possible other suspects but so far have found none.

10:39 a.m.: Flights have been grounded at Los Angeles International Airport after a shooting that wounded at least one TSA agent. LAX officials said they did not know when flights would resume.

10:36 a.m.: A White House official said President Obama had been informed of the incident: “The President has been briefed about the shooting at LAX. We will continue to stay in touch with our federal and local partners. The LAPD is leading the response and investigation. We urge citizens to listen to the authorities and follow directions from the first responders on site. The president will continue to receive briefings throughout the day.”

10:30 a.m.: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT: Brian Adamick, 43, said he was getting ready to fly to Chicago for his brother’s wedding and was boarding a Spirit Airlines flight at Gate 32 in Terminal 3.

He said people were running through the terminal, away from a security area. Adamick said he went through an emergency exit downstairs onto the tarmac with several other passengers.

“While I was on the tarmac, I heard two gunshots from the same area where the people had been running and screaming,” he said.

A few minutes after he got outside, he said buses showed up to help evacuate passengers. He saw a wounded TSA agent board one of the buses. The man’s ankle was bloody: “it looked like it was straight out of the movies,” Adamick said.

The man, told him, “I got shot, I’m fine.” He told passengers not to worry about him and that he had been shot before, Adamick said.

10:24 a.m.: TSA spokesman Nico Melendez confirmed one TSA officer was wounded in the shooting at LAX. He could provide no other details.

10:18 a.m.: Planes at LAX are grounded as the investigation of a shooting in which multiple people were wounded continues.

10:13 a.m.: A source at LAX told The Times that two or three TSA employees were hit by gunfire.

10:06 a.m.: The Los Angeles Police Department is on a citywide tactical alert. The LAPD would confirm only that two people were injured and that the suspect was in custody. LAPD Commander Andy Smith said “multiple shootings” occurred and that officers are still sorting out how many people were hurt.

10:05 a.m.: A man armed with a rifle opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, leaving several people wounded.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that at least one Transportation Security Administration agent was shot.

Law enforcement officers were flooding the airport and terminals 2 and 3 were being evacuated.

Tory Belleci of the television show “Mythbusters” tweeted: “Heard gun shots then eve11:07 a.m.: A press conference at LAX is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., according to LAPDryone starting running for the door. Not sure if anyone was hurt. #LAX.”

TV footage showed dozens of offficers swarming the airport. Images also showed a law enforcement officer being treated by paramedics. He appeared to be alert. Another officer had a bloody hand.

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11:07 a.m.: A press conference at LAX is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., according to LAPD