Alleged LAX Shooter Pleads Not Guilty
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com) — The man accused of killing a TSA agent at Los Angeles International Airport last month pleaded not guilty Thursday morning at a San Bernardino County Jail facility.
Paul Ciancia, who is in federal custody, faces 11 felony charges, including first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Gerardo Hernandez.
The Sun Valley resident, who entered the plea himself, appeared in handcuffs and did not show any emotion.
Investigators say the 23-year-old had a vendetta against the federal government and targeted TSA officers when he pulled a semi-automatic rifle from a bag and fatally shot Hernandez and wounded three others on Nov. 1.
In addition to first-degree murder, the indictment charges Ciancia with two counts of attempted murder in the shootings of TSA officers Tony Grigsby and James Speer, who were wounded in the attack. Brian Ludmer, a Calabasas
teacher, was also injured.
Ciancia was shot and wounded by airport police as passengers scrambled to safety.
He is being held without bond and could face the death penalty if found guilty.
Ciancia will return to court on Jan. 27 for a pre-trial hearing in downtown. A trial date is expected to be set in February.
