Third person dies in US airport shooting
The death toll rose to three in the shooting at Los Angeles International Airport, the governor’s office said tonight.
The incident happened close to the ticket counter of Israel’s El Al airlines at the airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal.
A gunman began randomly firing, killing one person before he was shot dead by an EL Al security guard.
The airport was evacuated. Some terminals have since reopened.
Alex Baez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, told PA News: ‘‘The gunman came into the terminal and randomly started shooting and he struck different victims.
‘‘An El Al security person who was armed returned fire and fatally wounded him.’’
Mr Baez said one victim, whose gender he could not specify, died at the scene.
Another two people were taken to hospital suffering gunshot wounds and were said to be in a critical condition.
A fifth person was taken to hospital with a stab wound and it was not immediately clear how that victim sustained injuries.
A sixth victim, a woman, was taken to hospital as a cardiac patient after suffering chest pains.
Thad Weimlein, who witnessed the attack, told CNN: ‘‘It was probably eight to 10 shots. People were running and screaming, hitting the floor.
‘‘There were a lot of shots fired, a flurry. Then there was silence. Then there were some more shots.
‘‘A lot of people were hoping it was fireworks, a prank.’’
The motive for the incident, which came as Americans cautiously celebrated Independence Day amid fears of a new terror attack, is not yet known.
The nation was on heightened alert today with military jets patrolling major cities and extra police and troops deployed across the US as America marked its first Fourth of July holiday since September 11.
Security was especially high in Washington DC were police with hand held metal detectors frisked 500,000 people attending the annual firework display.
In New York 4,000 police officers, including about 1,600 in civilian clothes, patrolled the streets, while 2,000 National Guard soldiers were on guard at power stations, water supplies, bridges, tunnels and airports.
Los Angeles police were at ‘‘maximum deployment’’ aided by fighter jets patrolling the sky.
