Chaos erupted at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday morning when an unattended bag containing "suspicious items" triggered evacuations and snarled traffic. As per CBS Los Angeles, the suspicious bag was located at Terminal 3 around 10:00 a.m., leading to a swift response from police and airport officials.
The evacuation at LAX Terminal 3 brought operations to a halt and left travelers and commuters in a lurch, with traffic backing up outside the airport due to the closure at the upper-level horseshoe road that lasted until just before 11:00 a.m., and though the police activity caused significant disruption, the lower levels of traffic into the airport remained open which allowed some access for passengers as the situation unfolded. The LA Airport Police Department spoke to ongoing disruptions in a post noted by NBC Los Angeles, saying, "Police activity at Terminal 3 causing traffic impacts at the upper level into the Central Terminal Area."
Details regarding the contents of the rogue bag were sparse initially as the investigation was carried out. Officers and bomb squad personnel meticulously examined the package, leaving nothing to chance in ensuring the safety of the thousands of passengers who pass through this transport artery daily.
By 11:00 a.m., the all-clear was given, and passengers were allowed back into Terminal 3 as the normal flow of airport operations tentatively resumed, the sighs of relieved travelers almost palpable in the air, even as the remnants of tension lingered like the slowly dissipating exhaust fumes from the previously stalled vehicles, according to sources at CBS Los Angeles. Video footage obtained by NBC Los Angeles showed groups of people outside the terminals during the evacuation, capturing the palpable anxiety and the ultimate relief as the situation was resolved.
