Chaos broke out and up to three people were injured this Saturday in the Atlanta airport, in the United States, one of the busiest in the world. It happened after a passenger accidentally fires a firearm that he carried in his luggage.
The event caused flight delays and that many travelers, in a panic, they will fall to the ground for fear of a shootout, as seen in videos of the event disseminated through social networks. The incident also occurred in the middle of an intense day of travel in the US due to the proximity of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The airport’s own official account reported on Saturday afternoon that there was no active shooter at the airfield, but that it was “an accidental shot”, which occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time.
For its part, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has explained in a release that the incident occurred when the airport’s X-ray scanner detected a prohibited object and a security agent began searching a luggage bag.
Although the agent asked the passenger not to touch her, this “pounced on her and grabbed a firearm, which at that moment went off“points out the note, which explains that”the passenger fled then he left the area and ran out of the airport exit. ”
According to Reuters, an arrest warrant has been issued for the owner of the weapon, whom the police have identified as 42-year-old Kenny Wells. He is charged with carrying a concealed weapon at a commercial airport, possession of a weapon by a convicted criminal, firing a firearm and reckless conduct, according to Atlanta Police.
Preliminary information provided by the TSA indicates that three people suffered non-life threatening injuries, while airport authorities investigate the incident. The chain ‘CNN’, which cites a source close to what happened, points out that the wounded did not receive bullet wounds, but suffered damage during the evacuation of the area.
For his part, an airport spokesman, Andrew Gobeil, has described what happened as an accident and has indicated that the sound of the shot created “a feeling of chaos“on the premises. The departure of all flights was temporarily halted, although it was resumed shortly afterwards.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
