Post date: Nov 02, 2013 12:28:53 AM
R Reports - Mayhem at LAX on Friday.
That's how one passenger described the scene at Los Angeles International Airport after a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle near a security checkpoint.
The suspect killed a TSA agent and wounded at least six other people, before police shot him and took him into custody.
OSE MARES:
"I was in the corner and I was looking at the guy just shooting randomly, like I saw a TSA go down."
MIRIAM RODRIGUEZ:
"The gunshot sounded so close to us. So we were just trying to get out of there and not be inside."
It happened at 9:20 am local time in Terminal 3.
The area was quickly evacuated, flights were halted or diverted, and nearby streets were shut down.
Aerial footage showed emergency responders setting up a triage area outside.
Trauma surgeons at Harbor UCLA Medical Center treated some of the wounded included the one casualty.
DR. DAVID PLURAD, TRAUMA SURGEON AT HARBOR UCLA MEDICAL CENTER:
"Despite maximum surgical intervention by the surgical team working for over an hour. Unfortunately, we were unable to revive a heartbeat and he expired from severe gunshot wounds to his head and to his abdomen."
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and other law enforcement officials offered reporters few details.
But L.A. Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon described the harrowing moments of the attack.
L.A. AIRPORT POLICE CHIEF PATRICK GANNON:
"An individual came into Terminal 3 of this airport, pulled an assault rifle out of a bag and began to open fire in the terminal. He proceeded up into the screening area where the TSA screeners are and continued shooting."
The FBI named the suspect as Paul Ciancia, a 23-year-old Los Angeles resident.
LAX is one of the busiest airports in the world, and the FBI is now said to be the lead agency in this ongoing investigation.