LAX shooting suspect Paul Ciancia AP/FBI

"Paul Ciancia, the alleged gunman who paralyzed much of Los Angeles International Airport [LAX] in a Friday shooting spree, could have turned the nation's third-busiest airport into a massive killing zone had it not been for the quick response by airport police," officials told USA Today on Saturday.

Using an assault rifle, Ciancia allegedly shot and killed Gerardo I. Hernandez, 39, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer, and injured two more TSA officers and two civilians before he was stopped.

Ciancia was shot and injured by police and taken into custody. He has been charged, among other offenses, with killing a federal officer.

Based on available information, Ciancia's alleged actions amount to a textbook case of "terrorism" according to the US government's own definitions. But for some reason neither media nor officials are describing it that way.

It is instructive to look at how the US defines "terrorism" and compare the reaction to the LAX shooting to the aftermath of last April's Boston Marathon bombing.

US definition of "terrorism"

As I've noted previously, the US government has no single definition of "terrorism" but the National Institute of Justice at the US Department of Justice points to two influential standards that are in use, one enshrined in law and the other provided by the FBI:

Title 22 of the US Code, Section 2656f(d) defines terrorism as "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience." The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism as "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives." Both definitions of terrorism share a common theme: the use of force intended to influence or instigate a course of action that furthers a political or social goal. In most cases, NIJ researchers adopt the FBI definition, which stresses methods over motivations and is generally accepted by law enforcement communities.

These definitions, it should also be noted, are carefully crafted to avoid including state violence as "terrorism" even when in every other respect, except the identity of its perpetrator, it fits the descriptions.

Ciancia's alleged motive

Based on information released by officials, Ciancia's intent was not in doubt. USA Today reports:

Investigators recovered a rambling note from the bag the shooter allegedly was carrying, which detailed an intent to "kill" TSA officers, said two federal law enforcement officials familiar with the message's contents. [FBI Special Agent David] Bowdich said the handwritten note made it clear that the suspect intended to kill "multiple" TSA employees and to "instill fear into their traitorous minds." The officials, who are not authorized to comment publicly, told USA TODAY that the note was written in a way that suggested the author expected to lose his life. One of the officials described the incident as a suicide mission.

The Associated Press described the materials that were allegedly in Ciancia's possession as "Patriot movement propaganda."

There is no doubt Ciancia's alleged actions clearly meet the government definition of "terrorism": there is evidence of premeditation, a clear anti-government motivation and an intent to "instill fear."

If any example of violence deserves to be treated as "terrorism" then it is hard to think of a more clear-cut example.

Is it "terrorism" yet?

And yet, neither major media nor public officials have, as far as I can determine, applied the terms "terrorism" or "terrorist" to what happened at LAX.

While the incident received major news coverage, there has been no national panic on the scale that followed the 15 April Boston Marathon bombing.

Recall that after that attack, media and officials all rushed to declare the incident a "terrorist" attack.

President Barack Obama, after initially hesitating, described the Boston bombing as an "act of terrorism" the very next day even before the identities of the suspects were known.

With the "terrorism" panic in full force, the city of Boston was placed under an unprecedented curfew – effectively martial law – with thousands of police scouring the streets and invading people's homes as the search for the suspects went on.

After 19-year-old suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured by police, Obama made a statement declaring: "We will investigate any associations that these terrorists may have had. And we'll continue to do whatever we have to do to keep our people safe."

He followed up with a video address to the nation, declaring that "an act of terror wounded dozens and killed three people at the Boston Marathon."

Members of Congress demanded publicly that the surviving Boston