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| LA shooting shows getting gun into airport is easy |
| 2013-11-05 |
| [Al Ahram] The gunman accused of shooting employees and terrorizing travelers at Los Angeles International Airport accomplished two of his goals, according to authorities: kill a U.S. Transportation Security Administration officer and show how easy it is to get a gun into an airport. Paul Ciancia's deadly rampage left Sherlocks to piece together what motivated his hatred toward the agency, which was formed to make air travel safer after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It could ultimately lead to changes in the way airports are patrolled. Ciancia was shot four times by airport police, including in the mouth, and remains heavily sedated and under 24-hour armed guard at the hospital, a law enforcement official told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named on Sunday. The official was not authorized to speak publicly on the case and requested anonymity. The FBI said he had a handwritten letter, stating that he made the conscious decision to try to kill multiple TSA officers and "instill fear in your traitorous minds." TSA officers screen commercial airline passengers and baggage and also engage information gathering, such as checking passenger manifests against watch lists. The unemployed cycle of violence mechanic who recently moved to Los Angeles from the small, blue-collar town of Pennsville, New Jersey, had a friend drop him at the airport on Friday just moments before he pulled a .223-caliber assault rifle from his duffel bag and opened fire, killing one TSA officer and wounding three other people, including two more TSA workers. Officials do not believe that the friend knew of the shooter's plans. Ciancia arrived at the airport in a black Hyundai and was not a ticketed passenger. He is facing charges of murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport. The charges could qualify him for the death penalty. It was not immediately clear when he would make a first court appearance given his medical condition. In court documents and interviews, authorities spelled out a chilling chain of events, saying Ciancia walked into the airport's Terminal 3, pulled the assault rifle from his duffel bag and fired repeatedly at 39-year-old TSA officer Gerardo I. Hernandez. He went up an escalator, turned back to see Hernandez move and returned to shoot him again, according to surveillance video reviewed by Sherlocks. He then fired on two other uniformed TSA employees and an airline passenger, who all were maimed, as he moved methodically through the security checkpoint to the passenger gate area before airport police shot him as panicked travelers hid in stores and restaurants. It wasn't clear why Ciancia targeted TSA officers, but what he left behind indicated he was willing to kill any of them that crossed his path, authorities revealed. The letter in his duffel bag refers to how Ciancia believed his constitutional rights were being violated by TSA searches and that he's a "pissed-off patriot" upset at former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. "Black, white, yellow, brown, I don't discriminate," the note read, according to a paraphrase by a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The screed also mentioned "fiat currency" and "NWO," possible references to the New World Order, a conspiracy theory that foresees a totalitarian one-world government. The letter also talked about "how easy it is to get a gun into the airport," the law enforcement official said. When searched, the suspect had five 30-round magazines, and his bag contained hundreds more rounds in boxes. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #14 LA shooting shows getting gun into airport is easy In WA state, we can carry guns into airports and as long as they stay on the ground side of things, no problem. When I worked as TSA in Bellingham, a co worker brought a handgun into the office to show to a co-worker who had expressed an interest in buying it. The Deputy Director walked in, saw the weapon and went ballistic. At the time we had Whatcom County LEOs sitting w/ us; she brought Officer Friendly up to show the goings on, and all he sais was, 'Nice piece.' So she calls the WA State Patrol, and he says the same thing. Shows her the RCW and everything where there was no law broken. She fired the gun owner shortly after ward on some sort of trumped up charge. But she got fired a bit later for some sort of deal with the Seattle head shed. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2013-11-05 20:47 |
| #13 #8 racist overtomes Wow! |
| Posted by: Zenobia Floger6220 2013-11-05 13:21 |
| #12 But Proc - you have to understand one of the Ruling Elite might be at that airport. Or one of their puppets like Sandra Fluke. They, of course, are the highest priority unlike the spawn of the plebs... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2013-11-05 11:50 |
| #11 OK, so they now want to arm TSA agents, but not teachers. Seems the toll has been a little higher at schools this year, so wouldn't the 'logic' imply if arming one, to arm the other? /rhet question |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-11-05 11:02 |
| #10 Arming TSA officers hits resistance on the Hill HT: Drudge |
| Posted by: Uncle Phester 2013-11-05 11:01 |
| #9 The TSA has an ego problem and does not need to be armed; enough complaints grabbing guy guns as it is. That said, a suicide with a plan committed an ambush and only did one dead and three wounded. Sounds like the airport police - who are trained for such things - did as well as possible. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2013-11-05 10:48 |
| #8 Good point Glen, something to indeed ponder. The term "broom handle Mauser" may have racist overtomes as well. :-( |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-11-05 10:24 |
| #7 But Besoeker, if TSA does all you request, they won't have anybody left to carry a broom, never mind a broom-handle. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2013-11-05 10:18 |
| #6 As for TSA in Atlanta, before "arming" them, disarm them of their stupidity, surly attitudes, and flagrant hand jive and urban ghetto-sims. Alright, so I am somewhat redundant. Oh, and yes, criminal background checks and urinalysis testing please. Did I mention....criminal background checks and drug testing? That completed and strictly monitored, they can carry broom handled Mauser machine pistols as far as I cam concerned. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-11-05 10:14 |
| #5 Nah, Old Spook, TSA needs to be armed with something other than sidearms, probably semi-auto shotguns. With extended magazines. Since they won't be able to hit what they aim at, they need to be able to hit everything whether they aim at it or not. (I wish I was only being sarcastic, but I expect something like that to eventually come to pass.) |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2013-11-05 10:09 |
| #4 TSA now wants to be armed. Oh joy. Not trained nor educated as a qualified LEO, and they want sidearms, out in the public. Now factor in the room temperature IQ types that populate TSA as "agents". And the union will press for this, with the Obama administration on the other end. I guess the DHS saw this coming - thats why they bought all that ammo. Arming TSA agents who couldn't hit the sides of a barn from the inside. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2013-11-05 09:58 |
| #3 So he was pissed off at TSA agents, and the government in general. Close enough. He's one of those violent racist teabaggers apparently. /sarcasm |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2013-11-05 09:16 |
| #2 I'm sure this has now been noted by frustrated terrorists around the globe. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-11-05 08:05 |
| #1 So, no armed law enforcement BEFORE the checkpoint. And not much after. Lucky he was fixated TSA or many more could have died. |
| Posted by: tipover 2013-11-05 00:13 |