Report Faults Response To LAX Shooting

(Reuters) —

A review of a deadly shooting attack that took the life of a federal security officer at Los Angeles International Airport last Nov. faulted law enforcement for communication lapses during the initial response, a report showed on Tuesday.

The 83-page report by Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that manages the airport, said communications were cumbersome because radio systems used by airport police were largely incompatible with those used by other agencies.

As a result, the report said, communications between airport police and other law enforcement officials were limited to a single access channel.

“Unfortunately, a single point of communication across all of those agencies is not sufficient to manage a large-scale multi-agency event such as the one on November 1,” the report said.

The report also cited a lack of communication with the general public in the hours following the shooting, a criticism echoed by Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“There was a real lack of communicating with the traveling public that day. I know that everybody was concerned with the safety at that terminal,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Authorities say Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, walked into Terminal 3 of the airport on November 1 carrying a semi-automatic rifle and opened fire, killing the federal security officer and wounding three others.

Ciancia, who was wounded by gunfire from police following the shooting rampage, was taken into custody at the scene.

He is charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder of federal officers, as well as four counts of committing an act of violence at an international airport and four counts of firearms offenses.

In January, a federal judge postponed his trial while prosecutors consider whether to seek the death penalty against him.

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