(NBC News: Stephanie Stanton) - A gunman with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport Friday morning.
NBC News reports a TSA agent was killed.
The gunman was wounded and is now in custody. NBC has identified the gunman as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia, a U.S. citizen and LA-area resident. They say he has no connection to the TSA and they also say they believe he has strong anti-government views based on some materials he was carrying.
The shooting happened just before 9:30 a.m., California time, inside Terminal 3, the Virgin American terminal.
Witnesses describe a very chaotic and chilling scene.
A TSA official working Terminal 3 was one of seven people wounded. Another TSA agent was killed when a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle as he approached a security checkpoint line.
Airport police then rushed to the checkpoint, engaging him in gunfire.
Local
Dozens of passengers were nearby when shots rang out.
Operations at the airport were disrupted, affecting travelers in other terminals, as well. Passengers were loaded onto buses to clear the area. Inbound and outbound flights were halted for a bit, while those headed for LA who hadn't taken off yet were grounded.
Police say the gunman, who is in custody, acted alone. They can't say why he did it.
