Investigators at Los Angeles International Airport are focusing on what prompted the first of several 911 calls falsely reporting gunshots that sent panicked travelers running onto streets and the tarmac.
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The Port Authority of NY and New Jersey, which runs and polices JFK, did not return messages seeking comment on Monday.
Video shows at least six officers confronting the man, who is dressed as fictional crime fighter Zorro, outside Terminal 7 around 8:40 p.m. Sunday.
Officers with rifles stormed the airport, panicked travelers in five terminals evacuated or pushed through security.
Twenty-seven flights were diverted to other airports but many had completed their trips to LAX by 1:25 a.m., according to LAX Public Relations Director Nancy Castle.
A search through terminals Sunday night brought no evidence of a gunman or shots fired, Los Angeles police spokesman Andy Neiman said. Two flights were canceled, the airport said.
An immediate investigation, including a review of closed-circuit television footage, revealed that no shots were fired, LAWA said, adding an investigation by airport police into what caused the incident continues.
In that incident, police were investigating whether an overly boisterous celebration of the Olympics on August 14 led to noises that were misinterpreted as gunfire, with the ensuing chain reaction turning into a panic as crowds ran to evacuate. The man was later released after telling police he was a performer on Hollywood Boulevard and was at the airport to pick up a passenger.
Planes started taking off again about 10 p.m., but no flights were arriving.
Maggard said it has not been determined whether someone intentionally made the false report to test airport security. Looking out the window, he said he could see many evacuees gathered on the tarmac, a unusual sight even for someone who travels constantly.
Witness Paula Leonhauser told local media outlet KTLA, “I turned around and I saw a man in a Zorro costume … greeting what appeared to be his girlfriend … she said to him, ‘I have one more bag to get”.
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When unsubstantiated reports occur, “you need to respond as if it’s a legitimate attack every single time”, said Anthony Roman, who runs a security consulting firm in Lynbrook, N.Y.
