FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2013 file photo provided to The Associated Press, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, police officers stand near an unidentified weapon in Terminal 3 of the Los Angeles International Airport after a gunman who opened fire killing one person and wounding two others. Two armed police officers assigned to guard a Los Angeles airport terminal where a gunman killed a screener in Nov. 2013, left for breaks without informing dispatchers as required minutes before the gunfire erupted. (AP Photo, File)
January 21, 2014 - 9:23 PM
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Minutes before a gunman opened fire in a Los Angeles International Airport terminal last fall, killing a security screener and wounding three others, the two armed officers assigned to the area left for breaks without informing dispatch as required.
Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that Los Angeles Airport Police Department officers were outside Terminal 3 when authorities say Paul Ciancia opened fire with an assault rifle in an attack targeting Transportation Security Administration officers.
The officials, who were briefed on the shooting, requested anonymity to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation.
Department policy requires officers to notify dispatch before going on break and leaving their patrol area in order to ensure supervisors are aware of their absence and, if necessary, a relief unit can be brought in.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014