Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/720876
ByBrianMelleyand Christopher Weber TheAssociatedPress LOS ANGELES In the mo- ments before reports of gunshots created a panic at the Los Angeles airport, police with weapons drawn had confronted a masked man outside a terminal who was carrying a plas- tic sword and dressed like Zorro. Authorities have now de- termined that there were no gunshots. The only people at the airport with guns Sunday night were officers, but false reports of an ac- tive shooter triggered a rip- ple of chaos that sent fran- tic travelers racing into the streets and onto the tarmac. As police tried Monday to sort out the disruption, experts said the incident — the second of its kind at a major U.S. airport in two weeks — highlights one of the challenges faced by air- ports at a time of terrorism and frequent unsubstanti- ated reports. "You can't always avoid them, and when they occur you need to respond as if it's a legitimate attack every single time," said Anthony Roman, who runs a secu- rity consulting firm in Lyn- brook, New York. "There are false alarms. There are pranksters who pull fire alarms, and we evacuate right away because we're all terrified of fire." Investigators were focus- ing on what prompted the first of several 911 calls from multiple terminals, airport police officer Rob Pedregon said. The initial call came from Terminal 8 around 8:45 p.m. — about five min- utes after officers detained the man dressed as Zorro. Police found no connec- tion between the call and the man in the costume. They were investigating a report of loud noises that spurred the first call, Pe- dregon said. What followed was pan- demonium similar to an in- cident two weeks ago at JFK Airport in New York when a raucous celebration of an Olympics victory may have led to noises people believed were shots. The chain reac- tion turned into a panic as crowds bolted. On Sunday, active shooter reports quickly spread on social media and word-of-mouth, and pas- sengers in five terminals fled or pushed through se- curity checkpoints, airport police said. "We were on the jetway, and someone starts push- ing behind us," Jon Landis, a sales representative from Boston who was boarding a flight home, told The Asso- ciated Press. "One man was frantic, saying there was a shooter." Police officers, including one with a shotgun, even- tually led passengers out of the terminal, through a se- curity gate and into a park- ing lot, where several hun- dred people waited. The scare created a mess, with three terminals shut down, roads closed and flights held in the air and on the ground, but no one was hurt. About 280 flights were delayed, at least 27 planes diverted and two flights canceled, airport spokes- woman Nancy Castles said. Officers with rifles stormed the airport but uncovered no evidence of a gunman or shots fired. With deadly terrorist bombings at airports in Brussels and Turkey this year, it's understandable that travelers are jittery. And LAX is no stranger to violence. A lone gunman shot and killed a Transpor- tation Security Administra- tion screening agent and wounded three other peo- ple in 2013. LOS ANGELES Airportscarehardtoavoidwithfalsereports RINGOH.W.CHIU—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS A police officer stands guard as passengers wait in line at Terminal 7in Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday. The Associated Press SAN ANDREAS A car driven by a woman high on drugs sparked several wildfires that consumed at least 450 acres in Northern California, forced evac- uations and burned one home, authorities say. The woman was driv- ing on the right rear rim of her subcompact car, emit- ting sparks that caused the fires in Calaveras County, 65 miles southeast of Sac- ramento, The Califor- nia Highway Patrol tells KCRA-TV. One home was burned on Sunday and many peo- ple were forced to leave their homes. The evacua- tion orders have since been lifted. Renee Hogan was ar- rested on suspicion of driving under the influ- ence, the CHP said. The state Department of For- estry and Fire Protection says it has filed additional charges against Hogan re- lated to the fires. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Officials: Woman driving on rim sparks wildfires The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Califor- nia's $64 billion high-speed rail plan lacks reliable funding sources and is in danger of ending up with only one line that doesn't connect to San Francisco or Los Angeles, members of a Congressional panel said Monday during a hearing. Proceeds from a state environment program that is supposed to help fund the project were far be- low expectations and pri- vate funding for the train has yet to materialize, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a Califor- nia Republican, said. "Where is the money going to come from," La- Malfa asked Dan Richard, chairman of the rail au- thority's board. Richard said private firms have expressed in- terest in the system but want to see the first leg up and running. That leg be- tween the Central Valley and Silicon Valley is cur- rently under construction and slated to open in 2025. California voters ap- proved $10 billion in bonds for the project in 2008, and federal officials awarded California $3.5 billion. The plan is to eventu- ally connect San Francisco with Los Angeles — a trip that officials say would take under three hours on a high-speed train. CALIFORNIA Congressmen blast high-speed rail plan Sendyour"HiddenGem"entryviaemailtoeditor@redbluffdailynews.comorbymail c/o Hidden Gems, P.O Box 220, Red Bluff CA 96080 Your recommended must-see or must-do does not have to be in Tehama County, just within a 2-hour drive of Downtown Red Bluff. Tehama the Magazine's mission is to develop "pride in place" among of local residents, 2nd good reading for Tehama County visitors -- and potential visitors. It's the only regional magazine with guaranteed home delivery to 5,000 local homes as a supplement to The Daily News, plus 3000 copies for local distribution through September of 2017 in restaurants, Chambers of Commerce, hotels and visitor information centers, and publication as a special digital edition on www.redbluffdailynews for a full year, Tehama County's most visited local website with over 125,000 unique visitors monthly! Roger Brooks, from the Branding Project, recommended the marketing of Red Bluff as an ideal visitor's "Base Camp." You can be a part of this project! What's your favorite "hidden gem" that a visitor might not see driving on Main Street, I-5, Hwy 36 or 99E? • Museum? • Winery? • Fishing hole? • Park? • Mountain trail less traveled? October's Tehama the Magazine will again be an AdventureGuide for local residents and visitors! We'll highlight more places to visit, things to do and see allwithinabout2hoursofRedBluff. We'll award $50 Visa Gift Cards to the new TEN best "hidden gem" recommendations from the public, written in 50 words or less, and received by SEPT. 16, 2016.* * Suggestions for "hidden gems" that were featured in the Fall 2015 edition of Tehama the Magazine are not eligible to win. Check out last year's edition at http://tinyurl.com/gv8wsyn or pick up a copy at The Daily News, 728 Main Street, Red Bluff or at the Tehama Country Visitors Center. We're asking again! 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