LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Operations were slowly getting back on track Monday morning after a false report of a shooter inside Los Angeles International Airport sparked panic in several terminals.
“The number of diversions and delays are expected to rise as further airlines report their impacted flights,” said LAX Public Relations Director Nancy Suey Castles. “Airlines are determining what they will do with those flights and passengers.”
Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines regarding the status of their flights.
CBS2’s Greg Mills reported departure and arrival roadways into the Central Terminal Area have reopened, and operations appear to be moving normally at LAX.
According to airport police, the incident was reported just after 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Officers responded to Terminal 7 to check on reports of a man dressed in black, wearing a mask and armed with a sword. Authorities approached the man with weapons drawn out of an abundance of caution.
The man was detained, questioned and released after police determined his sword was made of plastic.
A short while later, authorities received reports of an active shooter in Terminal 8 after loud noises were heard, but a preliminary investigation revealed no shots were fired.
Terminals 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 were subsequently evacuated.
A 30-minute ground stop was ordered due to passengers who self-evacuated from the terminals.
During the ground stop, 27 arriving flights were diverted to other airports, 12 of which were sent to Ontario International Airport.
In total, 120 arrivals and 161 departures were delayed, and two flights were cancelled as a result of the incident.
The police investigation caused a ripple effect of flight delays.
The investigation is ongoing.
CBS Los Angeles
False shooting reports throws LAX into chaos
