Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

FBI Believes LAX Shooting to Be Isolated Incident

Aired July 05, 2002 - 06:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: More on that shooting now in Los Angeles. The FBI is saying this morning that the shooting at the Los Angeles International Airport appears to be an isolated incident. But they aren't taking any chances.

This was what it looked like at LAX following the shooting. An Egyptian national allegedly killed two people and wounded four others before he was killed by an El Al Airline security guard. L.A.'s police chief says security is being beefed up today at the airport.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF MARTIN POMEROY, LOS ANGELES POLICE: We are going to have additional police officers very visible at this facility for the next few days, certainly through the weekend. I believe that every incoming passenger and every arriving passenger on an airplane will see an officer, either from the LAPD or from the L.A. Department of Airport Police as they traverse this facility. We want people to feel safe and to feel comfortable. We don't want to minimize this incident, but we have yet to connect it to a larger risk anywhere, at this facility or anywhere else in southern California.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And the FBI is now searching the alleged gunman's Irvine apartment and the dumpsters around it. They are also questioning his wife and also his neighbors.

As I said, everything should be back to normal at LAX this morning, but you will notice more security.

CNN's Kimberly Osias joins us live from there with a look at how the security is doing this early hour.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: FBI officials have now identified the gunman as a 41-year-old Egyptian national who shot and killed two victims before being shot and killed himself by an El Al security officer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS (voice-over): His name is Hesham Mohamed Hadayet. The man FBI officials say is responsible for the shooting deaths of two, an El Al ticket agent and a father of five whose wife is expecting their sixth child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very sad. We lost my brother-in-law. He's a very good person. He never hurt nobody. We love him very much. We're going to miss him.

OSIAS: According to FBI officials, Hadayet has been in the United States since 1992, was here legally with a valid green card and resided in Irvine, California. Today, FBI agents will continue their questioning and their investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had no way to identify him. I believe we checked the registration on weapons, which led to a registration of vehicles, which then would lead to various residences, all of which are being checked very thoroughly.

OSIAS: Although there'll be increased security presence here at the Los Angeles Airport today, officials see no link to any kind of terrorist cell activity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean there are no indicators that this is a terrorist incident, but at this point we absolutely cannot rule out that as a possibility.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Carol, obviously this investigation is ongoing. The FBI issued the picture of Hadayet just so that the public could help, if anybody has any kind of information. And here at the airport it's business as usual or as much as can be expected given what has happened. All domestic and international flights have resumed.

Reporting live from Los Angeles, Kimberly Osias, CNN -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you very much, Kimberly.

For more on the alleged airport gunman, airport security and passenger reaction, log onto our Web site at cnn.com.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com