The gunman had anti-federal government sentiment and was angry with the TSA specifically.
The man who shot and killed a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday was identified as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia, who was a TSA agent himself.
While carrying anti-government material, Ciancia opened fire with a rifle in Terminal 3 of the airport, killing his fellow employee Gerardo Hernandez and injuring other TSA agents. He was then shot by Police.
According to investigators, the suspect had anti-federal government sentiment and was angry with the TSA specifically.
Before shooting, he texted his brother in New Jersey, saying he was thinking about killing himself.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it was responding to the incident at the airport. Two terminals have been evacuated and the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded flights.
Television news reports have shown ambulances transferring gurneys and police officers walking on rooftops of terminals.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the incident and the White House is in touch with law enforcement, a White House spokesman said.
The airport has had several security breaches in the last few weeks, with two dry-ice bombs going off in an employee bathroom and on the tarmac.
Meanwhile, gun violence across the US continues to escalate as an estimate by slate.com, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows nearly 30,000 people have died by gunshots in the US since the massacre of 26 elementary school students and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, last December.
AT/ISH
Source: Press TV