LIHUE — Flights were delayed into Lihue after a lone gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire Friday at Los Angeles International Airport terminal, killing a Transportation Security Administration employee and injuring several others. Almost immediately after the shooting,
LIHUE — Flights were delayed into Lihue after a lone gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire Friday at Los Angeles International Airport terminal, killing a Transportation Security Administration employee and injuring several others.
Almost immediately after the shooting, the state Department of Transportation’s Airports Division stepped up security efforts at airports statewide by calling in additional guards and tightening security at curbsides, checkpoints and other airport areas.
“Hawaii DOT Airports Division has plans and protocols in place for incidents at our airports,” DOT spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said in an email. “These protocols are made in cooperation with our law enforcement partners.”
Security measures were reverted back to normal levels several hours later at 11 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time after law enforcement officials released more information about the incident and “determined that there was no credible threat to state.”
The alleged shooter, identified as Anthony Ciancia, 23, of Los Angeles, was injured by a responding officer and apprehended shortly afterward, according to the FBI.
The incident delayed three departing flights to Los Angeles and three arriving flights from Los Angeles at Lihue Airport, according to airline tracking website Flightstats.com.
United Airlines flight 297, for example, was scheduled to arrive in Lihue at 4:55 p.m. Friday but was delayed for 5 hours and 10 minutes in Los Angeles.
The outbound United Airlines flight 825 from Lihue was also delayed for 2 hours and 15 minutes before departing at 10:55 p.m. Friday.
