Authorities say a major tragedy was averted Monday morning after police arrested a Georgia man who allegedly threatened to open fire at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest travel hubs.
Atlanta police identified the suspect as 49-year-old Billy Joe Cagle, who now faces charges including terroristic threats, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Cagle’s own family alerted Cartersville police after seeing him livestream on social media, saying he was on his way to the airport to “shoot it up.” Their quick response may have saved dozens of lives. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens commended both the family and law enforcement for acting swiftly, saying, “Twenty-seven or more lives could have been lost today… This individual, thankfully, his family went to the Cartersville police and shared with them what was going on, and they alerted APD… and this crisis was averted.”
Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said Cagle arrived at the airport’s South Terminal at 9:29 a.m. and was taken into custody 25 minutes later. Officers discovered his Chevrolet flatbed pickup in the outer perimeter, where they found an AR-15 rifle loaded with 27 rounds.
“This individual did have a semiautomatic weapon and this individual was mentally challenged,” Dickens added. “When you have these combinations together, it can turn out to be deadly.”
Officials praised the rapid coordination between local police and airport security that prevented what could have been a devastating attack.
