Suspected Los Angeles airport gunman charged with murder

[News_Editor]

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- The man accused of opening fire at Los Angeles International Airport this week was charged on Saturday with one count of murder in the death of a federal security officer, prosecutors said, detailing the chilling chain of events that took place.

Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California with one count of Murder of a Federal Officer and one count of Violence at International Airports. If convicted, he would face life in prison without the possibility of parole or possibly a death sentence, although the state has not carried out executions since January 2006.

In court documents released on late Saturday, Special Agent Stephen Khoobyarian of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) described the events that took place at the nation's third largest airport on Friday morning. The shooting resulted in the death of 39-year-old Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer Gerardo I. Hernandez and injured 7 others, including Ciancia.

"At approximately 9:20 a.m., Ciancia entered Terminal 3 at LAX and approached the TSA checkpoint," Khoobyarian wrote in the court documents. "Ciancia pulled a Smith & Wesson .223 caliber M&P-15 assault rifle out of his bag and fired multiple rounds at point-blank range at a TSA officer who was then on duty and in uniform, wounding the officer."

Investigators said Ciancia left the first shooting scene and began walking up an escalator before looking back at Hernandez, who appeared to be alive and moving in video surveillance footage. "[Ciancia] returned to shoot the wounded officer again," Khoobyarian said. "The TSA officer was fatally wounded."

After killing Hernandez, Ciancia allegedly fired his weapon on at least two other uniformed, on-duty TSA employees and one civilian passenger, all of whom sustained gunshot wounds. "Ciancia was pursued and shot by a sergeant and an officer of the Los Angeles Airport Police," Khoobyarian said, adding that multiple terminals were evacuated which disrupted flights across the world.

Ciancia, who was also carrying five magazine clips of ammunition for his assault rifle, was found to have a handwritten letter with him that stated he had made "the conscious decision to try to kill" multiple TSA employees. Addressing TSA employees, Ciancia wrote he wanted to "instill fear in your traitorous minds."

Previously, investigators had disclosed that Ciancia was carrying a note that expressed "anti-government" views, although the exact contents have not yet been made public. An unidentified law enforcement official, speaking to the Los Angeles Times on Friday, said Ciancia had expressed his "disappointment in the government" in the letter and said he had no interest in hurting "innocent people."

Also on Saturday, TSA Administrator John Pistole traveled to the Los Angeles area to meet with the family of Hernandez and to personally express his condolences. He also met with the two TSA officers who were injured in Friday's shooting, and both officers have since been released from hospital to recover from their injuries at home.

"No words can explain the horror that we experienced [Friday] when a shooter took the life of a member of our family and injured two TSA officers at Los Angeles International Airport," Pistole wrote in an email to TSA employees on late Friday. "Together, we will get through this. Our faith will guide us and our professionalism will ensure our ability to carry out our mission."

Friday's shooting was the first incident in which a TSA officer was killed in the line of duty.

The last attack at Los Angeles International Airport happened on July 4, 2002, when Egyptian-American Hesham Mohamed Hadayet opened fire at an El Al ticket counter, killing two people and injuring four others. Hadayet himself was killed in the attack, which officials said was over the U.S. support for Israel.

(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)

[F430murci]

Expert says he had a Patriot agenda.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/02/21286208-lax-suspect-had-patriot-movement-propaganda-on-him-expert-says?lite

[NeverSure]

I have never heard of a "Patriot" movement. It must be a fringe group.

Note he was charged in "District Court." That is Federal Court, not a state court. He will be tried by federal rules (court rules of procedure under federal law,) and sentencing will be federal. I don't know why the reporter mentioned that no death penalty has been carried out in that state since 2006, unless it was a comment that federal judges in the courts in that state are more liberal than some others. That issue I wouldn't know.

I wish if he is found guilty that he be made to hang by a rope in public for all to see as a message that this wasn't a good idea after all.

But even if he is executed, it would be all sanitary in private. He would be heavily drugged first so he wouldn't much know or care, and then taken to a private room and injected with drugs which would first put him to sleep and next, kill him. He certainly didn't treat his victims including the injured so politely.

[F430murci]

I have never heard of a "Patriot" movement. It must be a fringe group.

Note he was charged in "District Court." That is Federal Court, not a state court. He will be tried by federal rules (court rules of procedure under federal law,) and sentencing will be federal. I don't know why the reporter mentioned that no death penalty has been carried out in that state since 2006, unless it was a comment that federal judges in the courts in that state are more liberal than some others. That issue I wouldn't know.

I wish if he is found guilty that he be made to hang by a rope in public for all to see as a message that this wasn't a good idea after all.

But even if he is executed, it would be all sanitary in private. He would be heavily drugged first so he wouldn't much know or care, and then taken to a private room and injected with drugs which would first put him to sleep and next, kill him. He certainly didn't treat his victims including the injured so politely.

Interesting, I have heard you Patriot this Patriot that mutterings for a while. Seems like all the things you say on here, especially relating to the need for guns, is right in line with Patriot movement.

-----

Adherents describe the movement as centered on a belief that individual liberties are in jeopardy due to unconstitutional actions taken by elected government officials, appointed bureaucrats, and some special interest groups outside of government, to illegally accumulate power. Journalists and researchers have associated the patriot movement with the right-wing militia movement and some in the movement with illegal acts of violence.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_movement

[NeverSure]

I have never heard of a "Patriot" movement. It must be a fringe group.

Note he was charged in "District Court." That is Federal Court, not a state court. He will be tried by federal rules (court rules of procedure under federal law,) and sentencing will be federal. I don't know why the reporter mentioned that no death penalty has been carried out in that state since 2006, unless it was a comment that federal judges in the courts in that state are more liberal than some others. That issue I wouldn't know.

I wish if he is found guilty that he be made to hang by a rope in public for all to see as a message that this wasn't a good idea after all.

But even if he is executed, it would be all sanitary in private. He would be heavily drugged first so he wouldn't much know or care, and then taken to a private room and injected with drugs which would first put him to sleep and next, kill him. He certainly didn't treat his victims including the injured so politely.

Interesting, I have heard you Patriot this Patriot that mutterings for a while. Seems like all the things you say on here, especially relati g to the need for guns, is right in line with Patriot movement.

-----

Adherents describe the movement as centered on a belief that individual liberties are in jeopardy due to unconstitutional actions taken by elected government officials, appointed bureaucrats, and some special interest groups outside of government, to illegally accumulate power. Journalists and researchers have associated the patriot movement with the right-wing militia movement and some in the movement with illegal acts of violence.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_movement

Well, there is a word patriot for someone who loves and would defend his country. Link

There is not such word for someone who would attack his country.

Your links are to very old material and to wiki which I could right now edit myself. It is someone's opinion although I don't doubt there are nutters out there in small groups. They may call themselves whatever they wish but they represent few.

Most of the 100 million Americans who own guns don't subscribe to the beliefs of these fringe people, and that includes me.

Certainly only a tiny fraction of those who own guns would use them to commit a crime.

The nutter who shot at this airport deserves the death penalty, and he was attacking government. I would have shot and stopped him myself if I had the chance. THAT'S being a patriot.

[Ulysses G.]

Expert says he had a Patriot agenda.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/02/21286208-lax-suspect-had-patriot-movement-propaganda-on-him-expert-says?lite

It says that he was "influenced" by their writings. Several recent nuts that murdered people were avid Obama supporters. That does not mean that what they did was his responsibility.

"Potok said that the Southern Poverty Law Center has no records of Ciancia, and that he is not known to have "joined or participated in the activities of any radical groups."

[F430murci]

Expert says he had a Patriot agenda.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/02/21286208-lax-suspect-had-patriot-movement-propaganda-on-him-expert-says?lite

It says that he was "influenced" by their writings. Several recent nuts that murdered people were avid Obama supporters. That does not mean that what they did was his responsibility.

"Potok said that the Southern Poverty Law Center has no records of Ciancia, and that he is not known to have "joined or participated in the activities of any radical groups."

??? Too funny. It is the thought process, not the membership card that counts.

[chuckd]

This could also be yet another case of media over-reaction.

If my memory serves me correctly, I recall the Aurora shooter, Gabby Giffords shooter and George Zimmerman being accused of being Tea Party members. It was later reported they were actually registered Democrats and voted for Obama.

It is hard to believe most of what the MSM reports.

[Credo]

And that was probably reported by Fox news, because they are soooooo credible.

[Credo]

Just to be clear this is a statement about the politics of Jared Lee Loughner, the shooter of Gabby Gifford and those killed in the Tuson shooting:

Records show that Loughner was registered as an Independent and voted in 2006 and 2008, but not in 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Lee_Loughner#Views_on_politics

[Chicog]

Expert says he had a Patriot agenda.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/02/21286208-lax-suspect-had-patriot-movement-propaganda-on-him-expert-says?lite

I'm no expert but I'd put money on him being an avid Alex Jones listener.

[kblaze]

Expert says he had a Patriot agenda.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/02/21286208-lax-suspect-had-patriot-movement-propaganda-on-him-expert-says?lite

I'm no expert but I'd put money on him being an avid Alex Jones listener.

absolutely and already that coward has already gone into "now they are going to demonize us!" mode.

Well if you day after day rant about how evil the TSA is and how they are all scum and demons and are coming to finger you and your grandma (literally his words), and you have millions of listeners, you are going to touch a nerve with some of them.

[Ulysses G.]

Expert says he had a Patriot agenda.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/02/21286208-lax-suspect-had-patriot-movement-propaganda-on-him-expert-says?lite

It says that he was "influenced" by their writings. Several recent nuts that murdered people were avid Obama supporters. That does not mean that what they did was his responsibility.

"Potok said that the Southern Poverty Law Center has no records of Ciancia, and that he is not known to have "joined or participated in the activities of any radical groups."

??? Too funny. It is the thought process, not the membership card that counts.

His "thought process" is that he is a paranoid nut - just like most of the other mass murderers in Western countries.

[F430murci]

Expert says he had a Patriot agenda.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/02/21286208-lax-suspect-had-patriot-movement-propaganda-on-him-expert-says?lite

It says that he was "influenced" by their writings. Several recent nuts that murdered people were avid Obama supporters. That does not mean that what they did was his responsibility.

"Potok said that the Southern Poverty Law Center has no records of Ciancia, and that he is not known to have "joined or participated in the activities of any radical groups."

??? Too funny. It is the thought process, not the membership card that counts.

His "thought process" is that he is a paranoid nut - just like most of the other mass murderers in Western countries.

Yep, comparable to those that that are building up arms because they think we are a failed state and the government is organizing or plotting to come and take their guns and freedom away. Wide World of Nutters armed to the teeth.

[Ulysses G.]

You mean like the Weather Underground?

[F430murci]

You mean like the Weather Underground?

Too funny. Shows your ignorance on both subjects. Just cannot argue with stupid. Stupid wins every time.

[Ulysses G.]

Stupid is trying to assign a motive to an insane person that was not a known member of any group with little evidence that he was anything other than crazy. Those that try to do so have been wrong repeatedly.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[NeverSure]

You mean like the Weather Underground?

Too funny. Shows your ignorance on both subjects. Just cannot argue with stupid. Stupid wins every time.

Name calling and going off topic with speculation proves only that you have lost a debate. You are really wound up.

Lumping lots of good people in with him sounds like you are either the paranoid one, or your bias requires that you insult good people.

All we know is that this guy appears to have shot some people. Period.

The issue for me is that I am sad for the victims and their families. I don't pretend to know what was in this mad man's head.

[Scott]

There has been enough nonsense. Stay on the topic. Further off-topic, inflammatory posts will be deleted.

[F430murci]

Something about a mall in NJ is breaking over news.

-----

Authorities were looking for a gunman inside a New Jersey shopping mall Monday evening after reports of shots fired, law enforcement sources told NBC New York.

Gunfire erupted just before the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus closed at 9:30 p.m., according to the station.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/04/21312204-police-respond-to-reports-of-shots-fired-at-new-jersey-mall

Edited November 5, 2013 by F430murci