LAX Shooting Suspect From South Jersey: Police

The man suspected of trying to shoot his way past a security checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, killing a TSA officer and wounding two other people, is originally from South Jersey.

Paul Ciancia, 23, grew up in Pennsville, in Salem County, according to the town's police chief. He's been living in Los Angeles recently, but authorities are not sure for how long.

Authorities say he was wounded in a shootout with police and was taken into custody.

Ciancia's parents and brother still live in Pennsville, officials said.

The brother got a text message from Ciancia Friday saying he was thinking about taking his life.

Ciancia's father, the owner of an auto-body shop in southern New Jersey, contacted Pennsville Police Chief Allen Cummings early Friday afternoon and asked for help in locating his son, Cummings said. The chief called Los Angeles police, who sent a patrol car to Ciancia's apartment. It wasn't clear whether the police visited before or after the airport shooting.
 
"Basically, there were two roommates there,'' Cummings said. "They said, 'We saw him yesterday and he was fine.'''
 
Cummings told Ciancia's father that because of his son's age, he couldn't take a missing persons report.

A law enforcement official told the AP that the suspect was wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a hand-written note that said he "wanted to kill TSA and pigs."

The official was briefed at LAX on the investigation and requested anonymity because was he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Authorities say Ciancia was armed with "hundreds of rounds" of ammunition.

Outside the home of Ciancia's father's in Pennsville Friday, a police cruiser blocked the long driveway to the home, which isn't visible from the road. Phone calls weren't answered, and efforts to reach siblings were also unsuccessful.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us