Paul Ciancia faces death penalty in killing of TSA agent

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The man accused of killing a security agent at Los Angeles International Airport was indicted on federal charges Tuesday and could face the death penalty.

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles handed up an 11-count indictment, including first-degree murder, charging Paul Ciancia, 23, in the Nov. 1 shooting death of TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

While Ciancia, a New Jersey native living in Sun Valley, Calif., could be sentenced to death if convicted, prosecutors said they had yet to decide what punishment they would seek, the newspaper said.

"The indictment contains a series of allegations that would support a possible sentence of death, including premeditation and the murder of a federal law enforcement officer," prosecutors said in a statement. "At this time, the government has not made a decision on seeking the death penalty if Ciancia is convicted of any of these charges."

Ciancia was also charged with the attempted murder of TSA agents Tony Grigsby and James Speer, and injuring civilian Brian Ludmer. LAPD officers arrived on scene and shot him, NBC News reported.

Investigators said Ciancia had written in a note he wanted to kill TSA agents and "instill fear in their traitorous minds."

The shooting spree halted flight arrivals at LAX for much of the day with numerous flights delayed and connections missed.

An arraignment was scheduled for Dec. 26.