Accused LAX gunman to be arraigned in federal court

The man accused of a shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport that left one federal transportation agent dead is scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday.

Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, is expected to enter a plea on the 11 counts, including murder and attempted murder.

Ciancia appeared in court for the first time earlier this month before a judge in a courtroom inside a Rancho Cucamonga jail, where he is being held while recovering from gunshot wounds he suffered when airport police were trying to apprehend him.

U.S. Magistrate Judge David Bristow denied bail, citing the potential of him being a flight risk and posing a danger to the community. He did not enter a plea.

Ciancia is accused of killing Transportation Security Administration Officer Gerardo I. Hernandez and wounding three others during the Nov. 1 rampage. Hernandez, 39, was the first TSA officer to die in the line of duty since the agency was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Ciancia, a native of New Jersey living in Los Angeles, had a documented hatred of TSA agents and allegedly targeted them during the attack, authorities said.

Ciancia was shot in the head and leg by airport police, and was hospitalized for two weeks before being sent to jail. On Wednesday, courtroom observers said that Ciancia appeared healthy and able to talk on his own while in shackles. He had a bandage on his neck and an apparatus that appeared to help him breathe. He also had bruises on his face.

If convicted, he could face life in prison or the death penalty. Prosecutors have not yet said whether they will seek the death penalty.

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rick.rojas@latimes.com