Police detained man dressed as Zorro before airport panic
LOS ANGELES — A false report of gunshots that sent panicked travelers fleeing from Los Angeles International Airport came right after officers with weapons drawn detained a masked man dressed in black and possibly carrying a plastic sword, officials said.
Soon after, hundreds of passengers raced onto streets or the tarmac, causing major flight delays that the airport was still recovering from Monday. Video shows at least six officers confronting the man dressed as the fictional hero Zorro outside Terminal 7 around 8:40 p.m. PDT Sunday.
Investigators were focusing on what prompted the first of several 911 calls that came from multiple terminals, airport police Officer Rob Pedregon said Monday. The initial 911 call came in Terminal 8 around 8:45 p.m. — about five minutes after officers detained the man dressed as Zorro.
Pedregon said Monday that police have found no connection between the two incidents.
A search uncovered no evidence of a gunman or shots fired. Officials said Sunday night that loud noises spurred the reports, and police are still investigating their source.
False reports of an active shooter quickly spread, and passengers in five terminals evacuated or pushed through security checkpoints, airport police said. Officers with rifles stormed the airport but uncovered no evidence of a gunman or shots fired.
The confusion was similar to a false alarm that led to a panicked evacuation two weeks ago at Kennedy Airport in New York.
The Los Angeles scare created a mess, with three terminals shut down, roads closed and flights held in the air and on the ground. About 280 flights were delayed.