LOS ANGELES –Los Angeles Airport police have confirmed that reports of shots fired in the facility were a false alarm as the airport authority confirms that all terminals have been cleared and operations are restarting.
Passengers are being re-screened for security and are re-entering the terminal buildings.
“Report of shooting at LAX proven to be LOUD NOISES only. No shots fired; no injuries. Investigation continues to locate source,”Andy Neiman, Commanding Officer of LAPD Media Relations said in a tweet.
The official LAX Airport Twitter account also posted that a Zorro-costumed individual had been detained by airport police. It’s not clear if the two incidents are related.
A statement released by LAX said that initial reports of an active shooter in Terminal 8 meant that “passengers in several LAX terminals self-evacuated onto the tarmac and rushed through federal security screening without being properly screened.”
No vehicles are being allowed into the Central Terminal Area, but vehicles are being allowed to leave the restricted area.
Police searched the airport following unconfirmed reports of a shooting at the facility. “All precautions being taken to ensure safety of public. Remain calm. Thank you for your cooperation,” a tweet from Los Angeles Airport Police Department read.
The FAA issued a ground stop at the airport due to a security situation, according to the regulatory body’s website. The ground stop lasted only 20 minutes and was lifted 1:00 a.m. EDT.
Earlier in August, police shut down JFK Airport and evacuated two terminals during a similar scare. Unclear what caused the August 14 incident, but excitement during Usain Bolt’s historic 100-meter final in the Rio Olympics may have been the culprit.
CNN and PIX11 digital producer Chris Brito contributed to this report.
