Police from the Port Authority of NY and New Jersey evacuated the terminal out of caution, spokesman Joe Pentangelo said.
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A Federal Bureau of Investigation agent talks to a passenger at Terminal 7 in Los Angeles International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016. “Run!'” NBC Nightly News television anchor Lester Holt said on Twitter.
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 27 flights were diverted to other airports, and two were cancelled.
Officials have not confirmed if there have been any shots fired, or any injuries. But in another freakish addition to the brouhaha, L.A.’s airport police confirmed that a man dressed in a Zorro costume and carrying a plastic sword was briefly detained (which perhaps is an “only in L.A.” detail that sets the two incidents apart). She eventually made it to her parked vehicle and left the airport.
LAPD Commanding Officer of Media relations Andy Neiman tweeted that loud noises in one of the terminals was mistakenly thought to be gunfire. “One man was frantic, saying there was a shooter”.
The incident was similar to one that occurred two weeks earlier in NY, when unconfirmed reports of gunfire at Kennedy International Airport led the police to evacuate two terminals there, causing hysteria among passengers whose fears were exacerbated by unconfirmed reports spread on social media.
“People started dropping bags and running out of the terminal”, she said. The ensuing chain reaction turned into a panic as crowds ran to evacuate.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A false report of gunshots that sent panicked travelers fleeing from Los Angeles International Airport came right after officers with weapons drawn detained a masked man dressed in black and possibly carrying a plastic sword, officials said. Pedregon said the incident marked the worst security upheaval at the airport since November 2013, when a gunman walked into Terminal 3 with a semi-automatic rifle and opened fire, killing a U.S. Transportation Security Administration agent.
According to LAWA, word of a possible shooter spread quickly through LAX terminals. Police and airport personnel hustled Stavert and others from the scene and told them to drop to the floor when they were deeper into the airport.
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CNN’s Paul Vercammen, reporting from the airport, said the man was involved in cosplay, or costume play. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
