A false report of gunshots that sent panicked travellers fleeing from Los Angeles International Airport came right after officers with weapons drawn detained a masked man dressed in black - possibly carrying a plastic sword.

False reports of an active shooter spread quickly, and hundreds of passengers in five terminals fled or pushed through security checkpoints, racing onto surrounding streets and runways.

Three terminals were shut down, roads closed and flights held in the air and on the ground, but no one was hurt. Two flights were cancelled and 27 diverted to other airports.

Officers with rifles stormed the airport but uncovered no evidence of a gunman or shots fired. Video shows at least six officers confronting a man dressed as the fictional crime fighter Zorro outside Terminal 7.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.