Airports Nationwide Honor Slain TSA Agent with Moment of Silence

Transportation Security Administration officers at airports across the country will observe a moment of silence Friday in memory of a security agent who was shot to death at Los Angeles International Airport.

The 9:20 a.m. moment of silence will mark the one-week anniversary of the shooting in LAX Terminal 3 that left 39-year-old Gerardo Hernandez dead. He was the first TSA officer killed in the line of duty.

A public memorial service for Hernandez will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

Hernandez was working at a lower-level passenger check-in station last Friday when a gunman — believed to be 23-year-old Sun Valley resident Paul Anthony Ciancia — pulled a semi-automatic weapon out of a duffel bag and began shooting. Federal officials said Ciancia was specifically targeting TSA agents.

According to federal authorities, one of Ciancia's roommates dropped him off at the airport, apparently unaware of his plans.

Authorities said the suspect went up some stairs after shooting Hernandez, but went back downstairs when he realized Hernandez was still alive and shot him again. The suspect continued shooting his way through the airport until he was shot four times, including at least once in the head.

He was hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in critical condition. Federal officials on Thursday declined to provide any updated information about his condition.

About two hours after Ciancia had been taken to the airport, Los Angeles police showed up at his apartment to make a welfare check initiated by his father in New Jersey over concerns he might be planning to commit suicide.

The motive behind his shooting spree remains a mystery, although federal authorities said Ciancia was carrying a hand-written note saying he wanted to kill multiple TSA officers and made a reference to NWO, or "New World Order."   On Wednesday, the U.S. Honor Flag — which once flew over the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City — was flown to LAX as part of a service in honor of Hernandez, a father of two. The flag was carried in a motorcade around the airport's loop road.

The Justice Department on Saturday filed a charge of murder of a federal official against Ciancia, along with a charge of commission of violence at an American airport.

Under federal law and policy, Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C., will evaluate the case to determine if they will seek life in federal prison without parole or the death penalty for Ciancia if he is convicted.

The shooting forced a daylong closure of Terminal 3, and prompted an evacuation of other LAX terminals as police conducted an extensive search to ensure there were no other threats at the airport.

Flights were delayed and canceled at LAX and at airports across the country. Airport officials said Tuesday that between 9:30 a.m. and midnight Friday, 1,550 flights were impacted, affecting roughly 167,000 passengers.

— City News Service