Callers reported gunshots, but after a chaotic night that saw panicked travelers running onto streets and the tarmac authorities determined no shots were fired and no gunman was at the airport.
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Security experts said the incident – the second of its kind at a USA airport in two weeks – highlights the challenges airports face with unsubstantiated reports.
As officers converged on Terminal 8, police began to receive additional reports of gunfire around the airport, some second-hand from passengers who had seen reports on Twitter and other social media, Pedregon said.
At least two terminals were “self-evacuated” and security personnel were checking them for anything suspicious, according to Officer Alicia Hernandez of the LAX police.
Image: Delayed passengers inside Terminal 7 at Los Angeles International Airport line up to go through TSA security check following a false alarm event in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 28, 2016. Two flights were canceled, airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles said.
The ground stop lasted 30 minutes and caused 27 arriving flights to be diverted.
Traffic on the upper departure level was flowing smoothly but traffic on the lower arrival level was congested this morning, she said.
The Los Angeles Police late confirmed that no shots were fired and no gunman was found at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
“Report of shooting at LAX proven to be LOUD NOISES only”.
Motor vehicle traffic was halted at the horseshoe-shaped central terminal, and flights were halted on the south side of the airport as police searched for possible suspects or signs of gunfire, Pedregon said.
“I’ve never seen passengers, just normal people, on the tarmac anywhere in the United States”, McDonald told Los Angeles news station KCAL-TV. An individual “in Zorro costume has been detained” by airport police, airport authorities wrote on Twitter.
Throughout the event, the public and passengers were kept informed of developments, and a new wireless emergency alert system passed information to cell phone customers within five miles of the airport, Maggard said. Looking out the window, he said he could see many evacuees gathered on the tarmac, a unusual sight even for someone who travels constantly.
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The incident at LAX, the seventh busiest airport in the world, started around 8:45pm, when gunfire was reported in terminals 6, 7 and 8.
