The man suspected of opening fire at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Friday is currently in critical condition after accomplishing his two goals, according to authorities -- kill a TSA agent and display how simple it is to enter an airport with a firearm, USA TODAY reported.
Officials say Paul Ciancia, a New Jersey native who recently moved to Los Angeles, was fed up with the way airports were patrolled and gave insight to his anger is a written letter, where he wrote about a deliberate plan to kill Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and "instill fear in your traitorous minds."
The suspect was shot four times by police -- once in the mouth -- and remains sedated in a hospital, under a 24-hour watch by an armed guard.
In addition to killing one TSA office, three other people -- two of which were TSA officials -- were injured after he pulled out his .233-caliber assault rifle and began shooting.
Ciancia arrived at the airport after a roommate dropped him off, reportedly unaware of his intentions. He was not a ticketed passenger.
He currently faces charges of murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Court documents include a frightening timeline of events on Friday, detailing Ciancia's entrance into Terminal 3. Once he arrived, he repeatedly shot at TSA officer Gerardo I. Hernandez. After going up an escalator, he shot at Hernandez again after seeing him move.
He then fired at two TSA employees and a passenger, all wounded, and he continued through the security checkpoint until he was shot by officers.
Once the shooting ended, officials discovered the letter in his duffel bag where he proclaimed himself to be a "pissed off patriot" for believing his constitutional rights were being violated and bragged about "how easy it is to get a gun into the airport."
