News reaching CEOAFRICA.com is that Los Angeles International Airport was locked down on Friday owing to reports of gunshots.

Aerial television footage showed people in what appeared to be transport security uniforms being treated for injuries.

Emergency vehicles and heavily armed police are on the scene and officers were reported to be searching and clearing the terminal, passengers in the terminal were also ordered to evacuate, some onto the tarmac.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it was assisting police at a "multi-patient incident".

An eyewitness Robert Perez told a CBS affiliate that airport security officers ran through the terminal yelling that a man had a gun.

"I heard popping and everybody dropped to the ground," Mr Perez said.

The Transportation Security Administration confirmed one of its employees had been shot. All outbound flights have also been cancelled.