Officials said a passenger waiting for a baggage search at the Atlanta Airport main security checkpoint reached for the baggage and grabbed a gun. It then exploded, causing chaos among passengers and prompting the FAA on Saturday The flight stopped temporarily in the afternoon. Then he ran away.
The Transportation Security Administration stated that the man was later identified as a felon and escaped from the checkpoint with a gun at the airport exit. The authorities stated that this was not an active shooter incident and that the incident was an accident.
The police later stated that they had issued an arrest warrant and arrested the 42-year-old felon Kenny Wells.
The airport’s police commander, Major Reginald Moorman, said that Wells is accepting charges for carrying hidden weapons at a commercial airport, convicted felony possession of a gun, shooting and reckless behavior.
“We are actively tracking down this person,” Moorman said at a press conference with TSA and airport officials on Saturday night.
As panicked travelers posted videos on Twitter and other online sites, these videos showed and described the chaotic and chaotic moments of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the United States. As a precaution, the commuter railway to the airport was also temporarily stopped.
Authorities said three people were slightly injured. One of them fell in the atrium area of the airport far from the checkpoint. The two complained of shortness of breath.
A TSA executive added that no one was shot.
TSA Georgia Federal Security Director Robert Spinden (Robert Spinden) said at the airport briefing: “We are fortunate that no one was seriously injured when the gun was ignited.” The officials did not immediately disclose the type of weapon involved.
Social media users report that there are long queues at security and some people have missed flights. This incident occurred before the peak of tourism during the Thanksgiving holiday as people were still dealing with the frustrations and concerns of safe travel during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a temporary suspension of flights, airport officials said that operations have never stopped and the airport has not been closed. They said the airport resumed normal operations in less than two hours.
The TSA statement said that it all started when a passenger prepared to accept an official’s baggage search at the airport’s main checkpoint at 1:30 pm, when X-ray scans found the so-called “prohibited items.”
“He advised the passengers not to touch the property. When he opened the compartment containing the prohibited items, the passenger rushed into the bag and grabbed a gun, and then it opened fire. The passenger then fled the area,” the statement said.
The Atlanta Journal reported that social media users rushed out of the airport in chaos after hearing gunfire. A video posted on Twitter showed people running out of the terminal. Some looked back anxiously, while some were obviously confused.
After Atlanta police resumed normal operations at the airport before 3:30 pm, TSA stated that all passengers must be re-checked.
TSA stated that this incident highlighted the importance of all passengers checking their personal belongings for dangerous goods before heading to the airport. Passengers carrying guns at airport checkpoints will face civil penalties. TSA stated that when the guns are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided lockable box, they may be allowed in checked baggage.
Last month, federal officials reported a surge in gun seizures at Atlanta Airport-part of a record number of guns detected at airport security checkpoints.
TSA stated that it seized 391 guns at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in the first nine months of 2021. This is an increase from 220 last year, when the number of passengers dropped significantly due to the pandemic. But this is also a huge leap compared to 2019, when 323 guns were seized in Atlanta.
TSA stated that as of October 3 this year, it had prevented 4,495 airline passengers from boarding aircraft with guns nationwide, surpassing the record of 4,432 guns seized at checkpoints throughout 2019.
The agency announced the figures for 2021 in a press release, noting that despite the continued decline in passenger numbers due to the pandemic, it still set a record. The press release did not provide an explanation or theory for the surge in gun seizures.
Hartsfield-Jackson is one of the busiest airports in the United States, although other U.S. airports have comparable passenger security checks. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport ranks second on the TSA list, with 232 guns seized as of October 3.
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