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http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/08/13/screener.arrest/index.html
An airport screener who is a registered sex offender faces life in prison after a weekend rampage in which he fired shots throughout his apartment complex and then set fire to one of the buildings, officials said.
Nathaniel Lee Kewanyama, 22, screened passengers at Hobby Airport. He was employed by Max Aero, a Houston-based airport security company contracted to do business at Hobby.
Early Sunday, police said, Kewanyama entered his apartment in southeast Houston and found three people inside. Police would not identify who they were or how they got to be there.
Police said the people told Kewanyama to leave, but he came back a short while later "fully armed" with a number of weapons, including an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
"He fired dozens of rounds," said Houston Police spokesman John Cannon. "It's a miracle no one was shot."
When police began arriving at the complex, Kewanyama barricaded himself in another apartment and set fire to it to keep police away. Police then arrested Kewanyama, who was shirtless and had a tattoo of a woman on his chest.
Kewanyama is listed in the Texas Department of Public Safety's sex offender registry, which is available to the public and searchable.
He was charged with one count of arson and three counts of burglary with attempted aggravated assault. The burglary charges are felonies and each carry up to 99 years in prison.
State prosecutors said a simple background check would have revealed Kewanyama's status as a registered sex offender. He is listed on the Web site for the Texas Department of Public Safety as having committed sexual assault on a 30-year-old woman in 1995.
Kewanyama's status with his employer was not clear Tuesday; Max Aero did not return multiple calls seeking comment.
He was hired in February this year, but the exact date of his hiring may be crucial in determining what charges, if any, Max Aero might face.
Federal Aviation Administration guidelines imposed after September 11 state airport security companies have until the end of 2002 to complete background checks on screeners hired before February 17, 2002 -- an extended window based on the backlog of background checks that resulted from the order.
Kewanyama fired dozens of shots and set an apartment building afire in a Saturday night rampage, police say.
Anyone hired after February 17, however, must undergo a background check immediately in order to get hired.
A spokesman for Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Tuesday that anyone with a criminal history would be barred from performing security duties under the new guidelines.
"The failure of the private sector screening company to perform an appropriate background check is an example of the failure of the system that the [Transportation Security Administration] is currently in the process of overhauling," said spokesman Leonardo Alcivar.
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of November 19, 2001, established the TSA, which is gradually taking over security at the nation's airports.
An airport screener who is a registered sex offender faces life in prison after a weekend rampage in which he fired shots throughout his apartment complex and then set fire to one of the buildings, officials said.
Nathaniel Lee Kewanyama, 22, screened passengers at Hobby Airport. He was employed by Max Aero, a Houston-based airport security company contracted to do business at Hobby.
Early Sunday, police said, Kewanyama entered his apartment in southeast Houston and found three people inside. Police would not identify who they were or how they got to be there.
Police said the people told Kewanyama to leave, but he came back a short while later "fully armed" with a number of weapons, including an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
"He fired dozens of rounds," said Houston Police spokesman John Cannon. "It's a miracle no one was shot."
When police began arriving at the complex, Kewanyama barricaded himself in another apartment and set fire to it to keep police away. Police then arrested Kewanyama, who was shirtless and had a tattoo of a woman on his chest.
Kewanyama is listed in the Texas Department of Public Safety's sex offender registry, which is available to the public and searchable.
He was charged with one count of arson and three counts of burglary with attempted aggravated assault. The burglary charges are felonies and each carry up to 99 years in prison.
State prosecutors said a simple background check would have revealed Kewanyama's status as a registered sex offender. He is listed on the Web site for the Texas Department of Public Safety as having committed sexual assault on a 30-year-old woman in 1995.
Kewanyama's status with his employer was not clear Tuesday; Max Aero did not return multiple calls seeking comment.
He was hired in February this year, but the exact date of his hiring may be crucial in determining what charges, if any, Max Aero might face.
Federal Aviation Administration guidelines imposed after September 11 state airport security companies have until the end of 2002 to complete background checks on screeners hired before February 17, 2002 -- an extended window based on the backlog of background checks that resulted from the order.
Kewanyama fired dozens of shots and set an apartment building afire in a Saturday night rampage, police say.
Anyone hired after February 17, however, must undergo a background check immediately in order to get hired.
A spokesman for Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Tuesday that anyone with a criminal history would be barred from performing security duties under the new guidelines.
"The failure of the private sector screening company to perform an appropriate background check is an example of the failure of the system that the [Transportation Security Administration] is currently in the process of overhauling," said spokesman Leonardo Alcivar.
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of November 19, 2001, established the TSA, which is gradually taking over security at the nation's airports.
