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Death penalty to be sought in 2013 LAX shootings

The Columbian
Published: January 2, 2015, 4:00pm

LOS ANGELES — The man charged in a deadly shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport will face the death penalty for intentionally targeting federal employees and terrorizing passengers and airport workers, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Prosecutors have not called the killing of a transportation security officer and wounding of three other people an act of terrorism, but their six-page filing in U.S. District Court said Paul Ciancia intended to terrorize federal workers to keep them from protecting airports and he succeeded in terrifying passengers.

“Ciancia acted with the intent that his crimes would strike fear in the hearts of Transportation Security Administration employees,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wrote. “By committing his crimes on a weekday morning in a crowded terminal at one of the busiest airports in the world … Ciancia terrorized numerous airline passengers and airport employees by causing them to fear for their lives and experience extreme emotional distress.”

Ciancia, 24, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in the killing of Gerardo Hernandez, 39, and the wounding of three other people at LAX on Nov. 1, 2013. The New Jersey native is due in court Monday, and lawyers are expected to discuss a trial date.

Phone and email messages left for Ciancia’s lawyer were not immediately returned.

The shooting caused chaos and panic as passengers ran for cover and security screeners fled their posts amid a hail of bullets. The airport was crippled most of the day and flights across the country were interrupted.

Although officers quickly shot Ciancia and arrested him, it took hours to search the rest of the airport and determine there were no accomplices.

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