LAX shooting recalled on 1-year anniversary

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mayor Eric Garcetti and government officials on Saturday commemorated the one-year anniversary of a shooting attack at Los Angeles International Airport that left a U.S. Transportation Security Administration officer dead.

Garcetti was joined by TSA Administrator John Pistole at the airport’s Terminal 3, where Officer Gerardo Hernandez was killed in the Nov. 1, 2013 attack.

New Jersey native Paul Ciancia is charged with targeting TSA officers in the shooting. He has pleaded not guilty to 11 federal charges, including murder of a federal officer.

Hernandez’s killing was TSA’s first line-of-duty death since the agency’s inception in 2001. Two other officers and a passenger were wounded.

Pistole said in a statement that Hernandez was “a dedicated, well-liked and respected employee, and a devoted husband and father. As our first fallen officer, his loss serves as a poignant reminder of how dangerous today’s world is.”

The ceremony included a moment of silence at 9:20 a.m., the time the gunman began shooting.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up