Chaos at LAX after unfounded reports of an active shooter

Traffic is now gridlocked and flights delayed following the unfounded report of an active shooter Sunday night at Los Angeles International Airport.

LAX is the third busiest airport in the U.S. and the seventh busiest in the world. An LAPD spokesman said no shots were fired, and it was actually loud noises that triggered panicked 911 calls at around 9 p.m. The airport shut down the upper departure level and lower arrival level of the central terminal, and a ground stop was temporarily initiated. Witnesses told KTLA passengers were sprinting away from the terminals, leaving their bags behind as they ran, and some were trying to hide in luggage chutes. Other passengers stood outside on the tarmac. By 10:30 p.m., some terminals were cleared and passengers were allowed back in to be re-screened.

On Twitter, the airport announced an "individual in [a] Zorro costume has been detained" by airport police for an unknown reason, and NBC Los Angeles says he has already been released. It's not immediately clear how many flights will be impacted, and passengers are being asked to check with their airline for flight status. Traffic is snarled, with side streets around the airport jammed. Two weeks ago, a similar incident took place at New York City's JFK Airport, when several people called police to report hearing gunshots. Those reports were also unfounded, police said.

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