Posted on: Saturday, May 10, 2003

Security changes possible following airport shooting

By Mike Leidemann and Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writers

Transportation officials are considering physical changes to airports statewide after an armed man forced his way into a secure area at Lihu'e Airport and fired two shots from a semi-automatic weapon.

State Transportation Director Rod Haraga said the incident Thursday night is believed to be the first time since Sept. 11 that someone has discharged a weapon in a secured airport area in the United States.

The man, Lloyd P. Albinio, was being held on Kaua'i yesterday on possible charges of first-degree terroristic threatening and reckless endangerment.

According to police and state officials, Albinio went into an open baggage claim area, confronted an unarmed federal guard, fired one shot into the ceiling and pushed his way through a closed sliding glass door into a secure area.

He then ran past the guard through a vestibule area leading to a Hawaiian Airlines passenger loading area, fired another shot into the ceiling, sat down and pointed the gun at his head. Authorities persuaded him to surrender a few minutes later.

"We may have to look at replacing some of these glass exit doors at Lihu'e Airport with bulletproof glass," Haraga said. "Also being considered is installing safety locks that would shut down access similar to a panic room."

Similar changes could be made to airports statewide, he said.

The 24-year-old gunman apparently knew that the sliding doors leading to the gates could be opened by pushing them inward, said Haraga, who described the incident as "very troubling."

"We will review all security infrastructure at the baggage claim exit points to decide what improvements need to be made," he said.

Federal Transportation Security Administration guards at most baggage claim areas throughout the state are unarmed, Haraga said. Armed private security guards are available as backup throughout the airports, he said.

Although TSA makes decisions about how to increase airport security, "we may have to provide infrastructure that ensures a person cannot break through security to access a plane," he said.

A new gate system to separate overseas and interisland areas is one improvement that will be considered.

Needed changes will be made as soon as possible using regular airport operating money, he said.

No one was injured in Thursday's incident. One passenger who saw the shooting said Albino pointed the gun at several people as he made his way to the gate area, causing waiting passengers to drop to the floor. About 200 passengers were evacuated from the airport for about an hour while police investigated.

Officials had not determined a motive for the shooting.

The entire incident lasted about 10 minutes, and police responded to a 911 call at the airport within minutes, Haraga said.

Albinio was sent yesterday to the Mahelona Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation, officials said.

According to Hawai'i Criminal Justice Data Center records, Albinio was convicted in May 2001 of driving under the influence of alcohol, a petty misdemeanor.