(CNN) —Parts of Los Angeles International Airport were being evacuated Friday morning after reports of shots being fired there, police said, and a "ground stop" was issued for planes scheduled to arrive at LAX.
Airport officials said a police incident began about 9:30 a.m. at Terminal 3 at LAX, airport spokeswoman Nancy Suey Castles said.
A person with a firearm approached a checkpoint at Terminal 3 and opened fire at a Transportation Security Administration agent, a former Los Angeles Police Department ranking officer who was at the scene told CNN. Sources told the Los Angeles Times two or three TSA employees were hit and that the suspect was also wounded.
Meanwhile, a "ground stop" has been issued for planes scheduled to arrive at LAX, the Federal Aviation Administration said. A ground stop means flights destined for the affected airport are held at their departure point, according to the FAA.
Passenger Robert Perez, who was getting ready to fly Virgin Air, was taking a nap in the terminal when panic erupted, he told CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS.
"I heard a popping sound, and everybody was diving for cover," Perez told the station. "The TSA said there was a shooting in the terminal and evacuate the building."