Paul Ciancia, the man charged with killing a Transportation Security Administration and wounding two other agents and a civilian during a shooting rampage on November 1 at Los Angeles International Airport, made his first court appearance on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
Ciancia was denied bail Wednesday, as the federal judge said he will be held without bond pending trial because he poses danger to the community, according to prosecutors, news reports said.
Ciancia, who had not been seen in public since the attack, showed no emotion during the 10-minute hearing in the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, about 45 miles east of Los Angeles,
Ciancia was shot four times by airport police, including once in the mouth, and was hospitalized for more than two weeks before being placed in federal custody, The Associated Press also reported. He did not enter a plea to the murder charge, which carries a possible death penalty if he will be convicted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Bristow determined that Ciancia "was a flight risk and posed a danger to the community and ordered him to remain behind bars. The next hearing is scheduled for December 18, but it could be waived if a grand jury indicts [him]," The AP also reported.
Investigators said "Ciancia walked into LAX's Terminal 3, pulled a semi-automatic rifle out of a duffel bag and fired at [39-year-old] TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez was shot a dozen times," The AP also reported. Ciancia also fired at two other uniformed TSA employees and an airline passenger. None of the three suffered life-threatening injuries.
Investigators said that Ciancia had specifically targeted TSA officers since he had a vendetta against the federal government.
