What Travelers Stranded at LAX Need to Know

The world's sixth-busiest airport slowly reopens after a gunman opens fire inside, killing a TSA agent

Throngs of travelers were stranded in Los Angeles Friday after a gunman opened fire inside a terminal at the city’s busy international airport, killing a Transportation Security Agency employee and wounding two other security officers.

Some 746 flights were affected by the tragic incident, and 46 flights were diverted, LAX said in a tweet.

More: Full Coverage | Timeline | Victim Was "Very Proud" Father | Alleged Gunman Spoke of Suicide

As the situation unfolds and the airport slowly reopens, there are several items travelers need to be aware of, according to LAX:

  • Terminals 1 and 2 have been reopened. Terminal 3, where the shooting happened, will be closed until further notice, the airport said.
  • Airlines operating in LAX's Terminal 3 -- Virgin American, JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant Air -- have voluntarily cancelled all their arriving and departing flights for the rest of Friday.
  • Personal belongings left behind during the evacuation can be picked up in the baggage claim areas in the terminals in which they were abandoned.
  • Medical supplies or prescriptions in abandoned luggage can be picked up by calling LAX's medical clinic at 310-215-6020
  • Drivers picking up passengers or employees can do so at LAX Economy Parking Lot C. Passengers will be transported by bus to that lot starting about 6 p.m.
  • Upper- and lower-level roadways in the passenger terminal are reopened to all vehicles, including those picking up and dropping off passengers.
  • LAX connection shuttles, taxis and hotel vans have resumed operations.
  • Stranded travelers can get help finding hotels by calling 1-888-831-7176.
  • Red Cross has established a shelter for stranded passengers at the Westchester Recreation Center, located at 7000 W. Manchester Ave.
  • Anyone needing mental assistance is asked to call LA County's mental health hotline at 1-800-854-7771
  • For details on departing flights and terminals, passengers are told to call their airlines directly.

A national ground stop on arriving flights into LAX was lifted about 4 p.m., meaning flights headed into Los Angeles were allowed to depart, according to Nancy Suey Castles, LAX spokeswoman.

Some 1,550 flights were affected by Friday's deadly shooting, affecting about 167,050 passengers who were either diverted or delayed, Castles said.

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Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call detectives at a tip line specifically created for this case: 888-226-8443.

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