Man armed with AR-15 arrested after threats to ‘shoot up’ Atlanta airport

Atlanta police say they prevented a potential tragedy at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after arresting a man who threatened to open fire inside the terminal with an AR-15 rifle.

The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Billy Joe Cagle of Cartersville, Georgia, was taken into custody at approximately 9:54 a.m. on Monday after officers located him inside the Domestic South Terminal near the TSA checkpoint, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) said.

Cartersville police alerted APD after Cagle’s family reported that he had made threats on social media to “shoot up” the airport during a livestream and that he was armed with an assault rifle.

“What we didn’t know is that Mr. Cagle had already arrived at the airport,” Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during a press briefing. “From video, he seemed very interested in the TSA checking area, which was heavily crowded with travelers.”

Officers searching the terminal’s perimeter located Cagle’s Chevrolet flatbed pickup truck outside the South Terminal. Inside, they found a Springfield AR-15-style rifle with 27 rounds of ammunition, Schierbaum said.

“We did have a tragedy averted today. I do believe Mr. Cagle was heading back to his truck to retrieve it, and I do believe he was likely to use that weapon inside the crowded terminal,” he added.

Cagle, who police said has a prior felony conviction, has been charged with terroristic threats, criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

“Twenty-seven or more lives could have been lost today because an individual came into Hartsfield-Jackson with mental challenges and a semi-automatic weapon,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said. “Thankfully, his family went to the Cartersville police, and this crisis was averted.”

Mayor Dickens compared the incident to the recent CDC shooting in Atlanta, where a man with mental health issues opened fire, killing a DeKalb County police officer and firing dozens of rounds at the building.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic, serving more than 100 million travelers each year and operating as a major hub for domestic and international flights across the United States.