TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A lone gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle went on a shooting spree Friday at Los Angeles International Airport, killing one person and leaving at least six people injured before the suspect was tracked down and taken into custody.
"We have one deceased,'' said Capt. Brian Elias of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. The dead victim was identified as a transportation security administration (TSA) agent.
Tim Kauffman, a spokesman for the American Federation of Government Employees in Washington, told the Associated Press that the victim who died was a Transportation Security Administration officer. He said the union's information came from its local officials in Los Angeles.
"It's with a very, very sad heart that I inform you that one of our own has lost his life today," said David Cox, president of American Federation of Government Employees. "To our knowledge, he was the first (TSA officer) to die in the line of duty."
Cox said three other TSA officers were injured. Cox explained that TSA officers are assaulted on a daily basis, which is why the union successfully argued against allowing passengers to bring small knives on planes.
Gannon said the shooting began at 9:20 am, when the suspect pulled an "assault rifle" out of a bag and opened fire in LAX Terminal 3.
"He proceeded up to the screening area and continued shooting, and went past the screeners back to the airport itself," Gannon said.
The shooting spree brought the giant airport complex to a halt, with travelers marooned on buses or sidewalks and police doing their best to manage the traffic.
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