Hesham Hadayet

Case details

Hesham Mohamed Hadayet was an Egyptian-American who killed two people at Los Angeles International Airport on 4 July 2002. Two Israelis were killed at the El Al ticket counter, including ticket agent Victoria Hen. Hadayet was killed during the attack by an El Al security guard.

Hadayet immigrated to the United States in 1992 and had a green card that allowed him to work in the United States as a limousine driver. He was married and had at least one child. At the time of the terrorist act, Hadayet was living in Irvine, California.

Timeline

• 4 July 2002 — A gunman opened fire at the El Al ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport while standing in line; Hadayet was killed by an El Al security guard during the interaction.
• 4 July 2002 — The police terminal shutdown at Los Angeles International Airport ended and passengers were allowed back in at 4:15 p.m.; by evening operations at Bradley terminal were “almost back to normal.”
• September 2002 — Federal investigators concluded that Hadayet hoped to influence U.S. government policy in favor of the Palestinians, and that the incident was a terrorist act.
• July 5, 2002 — Authorities identified the gunman as 41-year-old Hesham Mohamed Hadayet.
• April 2003 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice confirmed that the incident fit the definition of terrorism.

The offence

Hadayet’s attack occurred around 11:30 a.m. inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal, a separate building from the domestic terminals, at Los Angeles International Airport. He opened fire while standing in line at the El Al ticket counter. Four others were injured.

The victims killed were:

• Victoria Hen, an Israeli ticket agent aged 20.
• Yakov Aminov, a 46-year-old Israeli diamond importer.

The injured included:

• A 61-year-old woman who was shot and wounded.
• A man who was pistol-whipped by the gunman.
• The El Al security chief who was stabbed in the back.

Hadayet was armed with a .45-caliber handgun used in the shooting, and also carried a 9 mm handgun. He had in his possession a “6-inch knife.” FBI spokesman Ron Iden said:

“He was armed with a .45-caliber handgun which he used in the shooting, as well as a 9 mm handgun which he had on his possession,”

FBI spokesman Matt McLaughlin said:

“He also had in his possession what's described as a 6-inch knife.”

McLaughlin also said Hadayet had extra ammunition and magazines for the guns.

A car possibly connected to the gunman was found near the terminal where the shooting took place, and an LAPD bomb squad examined the vehicle as a precaution.

Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice later concluded the incident fit the definition of terrorism.

Initially, law enforcement and city officials said it appeared the shooting was an isolated incident, with nothing to suggest otherwise. McLaughlin said:

“There is no indication of any terrorism connection in this matter right now, but again we also can't discount that until we know more,”

Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn added:

“It appears this was an isolated incident.”

A Bush administration source concurred with that statement, adding that nothing suggested it was anything other than a criminal act.

Israeli officials viewed the incident differently. Ephraim Sneh, Israeli transportation minister, said:

“Though there is no clear-cut evidence that this gunman is related to a terror organization, it's the most logical assumption that when someone opens fire on an El Al counter in an international airport, most likely this is a terror attack,”

Sneh added:

“We have warnings that these terrorist organizations [will] try to hit Israeli and Jewish targets all over world so we have no reason to assume that this is something different than a terrorist attack,”

Arrest / restraint

No arrest occurred. Hadayet was shot and died at the scene during the interaction with security personnel.

FBI spokesman Ron Iden gave an account of the interaction:

“Two El Al security guards confronted the subject along with a private citizen who was in the area and began to subdue him. The subject was shot and died at the scene during that interaction.”

El Al’s deputy consul general Zvi Vapni said:

“El Al's chief security officer, Haim Sapir, tried to stop the gunman. The gunman stabbed Sapir, and the security chief then fatally shot the suspect, Vapni said.”

Trial / findings / outcome

Hadayet was killed during the attack. Federal investigators later concluded in September 2002 that Hadayet hoped to influence U.S.

In April 2003, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice confirmed the earlier conclusion that the incident fit the definition of terrorism.

Aftermath

The terminal was shut down immediately after the incident and everyone inside was evacuated. By 4:15 p.m., passengers were allowed back in and operations at Bradley terminal were “almost back to normal” by Thursday evening, according to airport police chief Bernard Wilson.

Twenty outbound international flights were delayed by the shutdown, affecting about 6,000 passengers, Hahn said.

LAPD responded with “maximum deployment” due to the Fourth of July holiday and potential for terror attacks. Los Angeles Police Chief Martin Pomeroy said high security would continue. He said:

“We are going to have additional police officers very visible at this facility for the next few days, certainly through the weekend,”

Pomeroy added:

“and I believe that every incoming passenger and every arriving passenger on an airplane will see an officer either from the LAPD or from the L.A. Department of Airport Police as they traverse this facility. We want people to feel safe and to feel comfortable.”

The terminal’s closure affected passengers at a time when operations later returned near normal by the evening.

Authorities said the attack occurred on Hadayet’s birthday. According to his driver’s license, he was born July 4, 1961.

In the narrative about motive and community reaction, FBI said it had not determined whether Hadayet harbored anti-Israeli feelings. Terrorism had not been ruled out as a motive, while authorities also considered theory that Hadayet was despondent over his personal or business affairs.

Victims

Victoria Hen

Victoria Hen was a 20-year-old female El Al ticket agent who was shot dead at the El Al ticket counter. She was shot once in the chest as she sat behind her desk. She was born in Israel and came with her family to live in the United States in 1990.

At a funeral later in the day, about 500 mourners attended a cemetery in a Los Angeles suburb.

Hen’s boyfriend Yaron Cohen clutched a white rose during a 30-minute graveside ceremony, and family spokesman Joe Knoller said Yaron Cohen had planned to propose marriage on July 5.

Protesters held signs reading, “Stop this terrorism now.”

Yakov Aminov

Yakov Aminov was a 46-year-old Israeli diamond importer who was killed at the El Al counter. He died while undergoing surgery for a single gunshot wound. His family said he was dropping off friends at the airport when the attack happened.

His wife Anat, who was pregnant with their sixth child, fainted when she learned he had not survived his injuries.

Aminov also had two children from a previous marriage.

Family members said they begged Aminov not to go to the airport on a day when Americans were braced for possible attacks on the first Independence Day since Sept. 11.

More than 1,000 mourners crowded the Yad Avraham Synagogue in North Hollywood for Aminov’s Sunday morning funeral service, with mourners spilling into the parking lot. A service later drew about 500 mourners at a separate location for Hen.

Several rabbis and friends eulogized Aminov at the two-hour service, and Haim Cohen said:

“He was everything in a human being that can be good - kindness, helping everybody, smiling at everybody, everybody to his house. I believe he was an angel,”

Cohen added:

“He was something for all the community.”

Other people mentioned

• Hala Mohammed Sadeq El-Awadly — Hadayet’s wife, who said Hadayet called her hours before the shooting.
• Omar (12) and Adam (7) — Hadayet’s sons.
• Rabbi Aaron Tendler — spoke at Aminov’s funeral; he said:

• Ephraim Sneh — Israeli transportation minister.
• Zvi Vapni — Israeli deputy consul general.
• Haim Sapir — El Al chief security officer, who was stabbed in the back.
• El Al official Amos Shapira — said the airline heightened security recently because of information received from both U.S. and Israeli authorities, and said it was “recent.” Shapira did not elaborate, saying only it was:

• Bernard Wilson — airport police chief.
• Alex Baez — LAPD spokesman.
• Martin Pomeroy — Los Angeles Police Chief.
• James Hahn — Los Angeles Mayor.
• Gray Davis — Governor of California; he said:

• Yuval Rotem — Israeli Consul General, who was present at Hen’s funeral.
• Joe Knoller — family spokesman for Hen.
• Sabiha Khan — spokeswoman for the Council on American Islamic Relations; she said:

• Rabbi/representatives and others at services — multiple mourners and speakers were mentioned without further identification beyond named individuals above.
• Sadeq El-Awadly — provided statements from Cairo, Egypt.

“We are horrified by what happened,” “We pray for the victims and their families because nobody should ever die like that.”

“saddened and outraged” and urged Californians not to let the incident stop them from celebrating Independence Day, saying: “Please continue on with your celebrations,”

“recent.”

“Yaakov Aminov died because he was a Jew, because a culture of hatred has been fostered,”

Wife’s statements

Hala Mohammed Sadeq El-Awadly said Hadayet called her hours before the shooting and gave no hint he was planning any violent act. She said she did not believe her husband was responsible and was being blamed because he was Arab and Muslim. She said:

“He is a victim of injustice,”

She also said:

“In America, they hate Islam and Arabs after Sept. 11.”

She stated:

“Hesham called on July 4, it was his birthday. His voice was very beautiful,”

She further said:

“He asked about the boys, asked me to take them out a lot and to review their lessons with them in order to be ready for next year.”

El-Awadly said she could not wear black, mourn, or cry because she had not yet told her sons Omar 12 and Adam 7.

She said the boys’ Arabic was poor enough that they could not understand media reports or the conversations of adults around them, though Omar asked why his father’s name kept coming up.

Terrorism designation

In September 2002, federal investigators concluded that Hadayet hoped to influence U.S.

In April 2003, the FBI and Department of Justice confirmed the earlier conclusion that the incident fit the definition of terrorism.