SoCal Airports Beef Up Security After LAX Shooting Spree
ONTARIO (CBSLA.com) — Local airports were on a heightened alert Friday after a shooting at Los Angeles International Airport left at least one person dead and several others injured.
RELATED: TSA Agent Fatally Shot, Others Wounded In Shooting At LAX
One suspect was hospitalized following the shooting at Terminal 3 at LAX, according to reports. At least one Transportation Security Administration agent has been killed.
Officials at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank said although they were under increased security, things were operating normally and no flights were diverted there.
John Wayne Airport police were also on alert, and no flights were being diverted to the airport in Santa Ana.
Some travelers bound for LAX, however, were diverted to Ontario International Airport.
Many passengers said they got news they were going to be brought to Ontario at the very last second.
"We landed, and someone said, 'Ontario.' And my first thought was, 'Canada?'" said John Swinford, who was coming from Albuquerque.
He added, "All we know is something happened at LAX and about five minutes later, they came and said, 'Well, there was a gunman and they had to shut down LAX.'"
"They didn't make any announcements on the plane until like, five minutes before we landed," said a man.
"They didn't tell us we were landing in Ontario until we actually got close," said a passenger.
Southwest Airlines brought in a bus to shuttle passengers from Ontario to LAX, but whether the passengers would be able to board connecting flights was unclear.
Some passengers from Canada were trying to catch a cruise.
"We know some of our colleagues have landed in LA and can't get out of the plane. So they're sitting and don't know when they're going to be able to get out," a man said.
