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A shooting incident Friday morning at Los Angeles International Airport left one TSA employee dead, and several others wounded. One shooter is in custody, according to the LAPD. In a press conference on Friday afternoon, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the situation at LAX is now a "static" one, though the airport is was suffering from considerable delays hours after the incident. Following multiple media reports, the FBI identified the shooter as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia, an LA resident and U.S. citizen. Law enforcement officials said that they believe the incident was limited only to Terminal 3 of the airport, and to the single gunman in custody.
At about 9:30 on Friday morning, Ciancia walked into Terminal 3 of the airport, "pulled an assault rifle out of a bag, and began to open fire in the terminal," according to Patrick Gannon, Chief of Airport Police. He then moved to the TSA screening area and continued shooting, before moving into the airport beyond the security checkpoint, where he was engaged in gunfire, reportedly shot three times in the chest, and taken into custody by law enforcement officers.
There are some unconfirmed indications that the shooter may have specifically targeted TSA employees. The AP, for example, reported that the suspect "was wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a hand-written note that said he 'wanted to kill TSA and pigs,'" citing an anonymous law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. Keep in mind, however, that FBI officials leading the investigation had not released very much information on the shooter, including a possible motive. David Bowdich, special agent in charge FBI counterterrorism, said late on Friday afternoon that "we are currently investigating his background and more about him." Bowdich noted that Ciancia has a previous New Jersey address.