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Deaths in an Airport: July 4th, 2002

Where it happened - The El Al (Israel's principal airline) ticket counter at Los Angeles' International Airport (LAX), at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

The incident - A man waiting in line at the El Al ticket counter pulls out a gun and starts shooting.

What happened? - Three people die. The gunman dies at the hands of El Al security, but not before he has killed a male passenger in his 40's, and a female El Al ticket agent in her 20's. The gunman also injured a number of others. Thousands are evacuated from the international terminal, but domestic flight service is not interrupted. Some internationally-bound flights are canceled as a result of the shootings.

Who is El Al? - El Al is Israel's national airline. It is well known for its stringent security measures, and impeccable safety record. At a number of airports where El Al operates, passengers must identify their exact pieces of luggage as it is boarded onto the aircraft, and often must check in hours before their flights, and are subjected to strict screening measures.

Was it a terrorist attack? - This seems to be the looming question. There were many cautions regarding possible terrorist actions over the July 4th holiday. That this incident should occur at an airport makes answering this question especially important.