On Friday, Nov. 1 at 9:20 a.m., Paul Ciancia walked up to a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint in Los Angeles Airport and pulled a .223-caliber assault rifle from a bag and shot a nearby police officer.
Chaos ensued as the gunman continued around the terminal, asking bystanders if they were TSA officers. Passenger Leon Saryan came face to face with the shooter when Ciancia approached him and asked, “TSA?” Saryan shook his head no and Ciancia moved on.
When police arrived, Ciancia was shot and incapacitated, ending the mayhem. The motive for the shooting is still unknown and Ciancia remains alive but in critical condition.
The shooting has prompted review of security protocol, as well as increased officer presence at Dulles and Reagan International Airports. The office of Homeland Security has also made public an instructional video that addresses how to deal with public shootings (see link below).
Information from CNN and the Washington Post
![Since the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge in late March, federal law enforcement has began investigating what preceded the event. In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson for the FBI said, [The] FBI is present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court authorized law enforcement activity. There is no other public information available and we will have no further comment. (Courtesy Isaac Smay via Flickr)](https://www.wjpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/53619368036_399400003a_b.jpg)
