LA int'l airport shooting exposes security flaws

[WASHINGTON] The slaying of a Transportation Security Administration officer at Los Angeles International Airport showed how little is being done to control areas outside of the security perimeter - and how tough it may be to do more.

As US officials and lawmakers explore ways to prevent another firefight at an airport, they're likely to run into practical limits on security upgrades while also reviving the debate on what restrictions Americans are willing to accept in exchange for greater safety.

"To some extent, it's an unavoidable risk," said Stewart Verdery, former assistant administrator for policy and planning at the US Homeland Security Department. "We have an open society. You have malls. You have stadiums. You don't normally screen 50,000 people going into a stadium for weapons."