At least three people killed and others have reportedly been wounded by gunfire Thursday at a terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport.
Los Angeles Police Department Lieutenant Horace Frank told reporters that "at approximately 11:30 (1830 GMT) we received a 911 call of a shooting at (Tom) Bradley (International) terminal, in the area of El-Al airlines."
Frank said "one suspect apparently opened fire on another individual and then opened fire on several other persons there at the terminal."
An El-Al security guard "returned fire, killing the suspect," the police lieutenant said.
"We have no reason to believe" there was an accomplice, he added, although US media reported there was the possibility of another suspect.
Five ambulances were sent to the LAX international terminal. Two persons who were injured in the attack received medical treatment on the scene, sources said.
Thad Weimlein, a passenger in the terminal preparing to take a flight Thursday, told CNN that after the "initial flurry of fire" there was "silence." Then "firing started again" as police "pulled out their guns" and called for other travelers to "stay undercover."
"Today was supposed to be a pretty secure day," he told the news channel.
Outbound and incoming flights were suspended. The terminal was evacuated and auto traffic from the area stopped.
Israeli Army Radio reported that reaching the ticket counter for Israel's national carrier El Al was simple, and that there were no security checks beforehand.
Israel's foreign ministry blamed terrorists for the attack but didn't offer any evidence to support this claim.
"At this point it's too early to rule out anything," Matt McGlaughlin, an FBI spokesman, told reporters at the airport. But he said until more was known, the possibility could not be discounted. (Albawaba.com)
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