Shots rang out at Los Angeles International Airport Friday morning as an armed gunman shot and killed one Transportation Security Administration officer, injuring three others and sending screaming passengers and airport employees alike running away in terror.
LAX SHOOTING ON FRIDAY MORNING
At 9:20 a.m. Paul Ciancia, a 23-year-old Los Angeles resident, took out an assault rifle in terminal three of the airport and opened fire, according to an article by Fox News.
Sprinting up the stairs while still firing, Ciancia shot and killed one TSA officer, 39-year-old Gerardo Hernandez, and injured at least three others while making his way through the screening checkpoint. Airport police engaged Ciancia in a rapid exchange of gunfire before subduing him. Hernandez was the first TSA officer to ever be killed while on duty.
All flights in and out of LAX were immediately suspended as police and airport employees scrambled to take charge of the chaos that had seized the airport. Passengers were evacuated and flights around the United States departing for Los Angeles were grounded temporarily.
BIOLA STUDENTS RESPOND
LAX is one of the largest airports in the country and one often used by Biola students. Emily Larsen, a freshman psychology major, was on a flight that took off 30 minutes before the shooting took place. It was her first time flying by herself.
“I was surprised and maybe a little dumbfounded,” Larsen said. “I was just thinking of how I take one flight, and there's a one-in-a-million chance there's a shooter while I'm at the airport. And then I land in Boston bombarded with texts and missed calls from people to see if I was okay. It’s a scary thought.”
Around campus, several students gave their thoughts on what had taken place at LAX. David Coonradt, a sophomore business major, said he was first exposed to the news from his Fox News app.
Coonradt said his first thoughts upon hearing of the rampage were “Oh, no,” saying that although he was horrified to learn of the tragedy that had taken place, he began to worry what this shooting would bring about in the sense of heightened gun restrictions, and “more motive for gun control.”
Ekaterina Makarova, a freshman film major, said that she was shaken up by the recent tragedy. She first heard of the incident through Twitter and was not only saddened, but scared as well.
“I’m supposed to fly out on November 8th,” Makarova said. “I keep thinking, what would have happened if I flew out a week earlier?”
ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS
Investigations are still ongoing, according to a recent CNN article. Ciancia is still hospitalized and has not yet been questioned. In an inspection of the scene, officers found a note in Ciancia’s bag containing anti-government messages and hateful threats toward members of the TSA. After further investigation, officers found that Ciancia’s gun contained over 100 rounds of ammunition that he did not fire, prompting further speculation about the exact plans for the shooting spree.
Congressman John McCaul has spoken out about the need for better cooperation between TSA officers and local law enforcement in order to better protect airports around the country, CNN reported. Deliberations have already begun among airport police over what is to be done in the future to better prevent these types of attacks, and what to do to make airport security even more efficient.
