A Transportation Security Administration agent was killed and several more people wounded when a gunman opened fire on Friday morning at Los Angeles International Airport.
The FBI has identified the shooting suspect as 23-year-old Paul Ciancia. According to law enforcement officials, Ciancia was apprehended on the scene after opening fire at an airport security checkpoint. He reportedly suffered a non-lethal gunshot wound and is being treated in a local hospital.
Personal details about Ciancia are still emerging. According to public records obtained by Yahoo News, Ciancia has a known address in Pennsville, N.J., about 15 miles from Wilmington, Del. The AP said Ciancia had contacted his brother by text message on Friday saying he was considering suicide. Additional reports indicate when Ciancia was detained by law enforcement he was carrying literature critical of the federal government and the TSA. Ciancia's father reached out to law enforcement officials in New Jersey who subsequently reached out to their counterparts in Los Angeles. Police in Los Angeles reportedly made an unsuccessful attempt to make contact with Ciancia before the shooting took place.
Ciancia entered LAX on Friday wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a handwritten note that said he "wanted to kill TSA and pigs," an official, who was briefed on the investigation and requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, told the AP.
The TSA confirmed the death of the officer in a statement obtained by Yahoo News: "Earlier this morning, a shooting occurred at Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport. Multiple Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) were shot, one fatally. Additional details will be addressed by the FBI and local law enforcement who are investigating the shooting."
A spokesperson for the American Federation of Government Employees told Yahoo News that it is the first time a TSA officer has been killed in the line of duty. According to the spokesperson, the TSA officer was a "behavior detection officer" who was charged with spotting suspicious behavior in the airport.
Personal details about Ciancia are still emerging. According to public records obtained by Yahoo News, Ciancia has a known address in Pennsville, N.J., about 15 miles from Wilmington, Del. The AP said Ciancia had contacted his brother by text message on Friday saying he was considering suicide. Additional reports indicate when Ciancia was detained by law enforcement he was carrying literature critical of the federal government and the TSA. Ciancia's father reached out to law enforcement officials in New Jersey who subsequently reached out to their counterparts in Los Angeles. Police in Los Angeles reportedly made an unsuccessful attempt to make contact with Ciancia before the shooting took place.
Ciancia entered LAX on Friday wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a handwritten note that said he "wanted to kill TSA and pigs," an official, who was briefed on the investigation and requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, told the AP.
The TSA confirmed the death of the officer in a statement obtained by Yahoo News: "Earlier this morning, a shooting occurred at Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport. Multiple Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) were shot, one fatally. Additional details will be addressed by the FBI and local law enforcement who are investigating the shooting."
A spokesperson for the American Federation of Government Employees told Yahoo News that it is the first time a TSA officer has been killed in the line of duty. According to the spokesperson, the TSA officer was a "behavior detection officer" who was charged with spotting suspicious behavior in the airport.
