Man who deliberate to shoot up Atlanta airport arrested in terminal – NBC New York

Police arrested a person at Atlanta’s bustling airport on Monday after getting a tip from his household that he was planning to shoot up the place, and located an assault rifle and ammunition in his truck exterior, town’s police chief mentioned.

Billy Joe Cagle, of Cartersville, Georgia, had described his plan to shoot up the world’s busiest airport on a social media livestream, Chief Darin Schierbaum mentioned throughout a information convention.

“The Cartersville Police Division was alerted by the household of Mr. Cagle that he was streaming on social media that he was headed to the Atlanta airport, of their phrases, to ‘shoot it up,’ and the household said that he was in possession of an assault rifle,” Schierbaum mentioned, describing Cagle as a “convicted felon.”

Cagle, 49, arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport in a Chevrolet pickup truck that was parked proper exterior the doorways to the airport terminal. When police went to the automobile, they discovered an AR-15 with 27 rounds of ammunition, Schierbaum mentioned.

“We’re right here in the present day briefing you on successful and never a tragedy as a result of a household noticed one thing and mentioned one thing,” the chief mentioned.

Cartersville police Capt. Greg Sparacio, whose division obtained the preliminary tip from relations, mentioned Cagle “had the intention to inflict hurt to as many individuals as he might.”

Throughout the information convention, police confirmed surveillance video that exhibits Cagle arriving on the airport and body-camera video of his arrest.

A Chevrolet flatbed pickup truck is seen arriving curbside on the airport terminal round 9:30 a.m. after which a person police recognized as Cagle is seen coming into the airport a couple of minutes later. He walks over to the TSA safety checkpoint and had “excessive curiosity in that space,” Schierbaum mentioned.

Physique-camera footage exhibits Atlanta cops, who had a photograph of Cagle supplied by his household on their telephones, strategy him and begin asking him questions earlier than taking him into custody. As they take him to the bottom and put handcuffs on him, Cagle may be heard yelling.

Cagle has been charged with making terroristic threats, legal try to commit aggravated assault, possession of a firearm through the fee of a felony and possession of a firearm by a felon, Schierbaum mentioned.

Cagle was booked into the Clayton County Detention Facility on Monday night, in response to on-line jail data. Makes an attempt to achieve his household and associates by a number of cellphone numbers and emails have been unsuccessful. It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not he had a lawyer who might touch upon the fees.

Atlanta police will work with federal authorities to find out how he obtained the gun, “which he was not capable of legally possess,” Schierbaum mentioned.

Mayor Andre Dickens mentioned “we’re grateful to God” {that a} tragedy was averted.

“We’re grateful to God and to good data, and good intel, and good individuals for this disaster being averted,” the mayor mentioned.

Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned in a submit on the social platform X, “I’m grateful this particular person was taken into custody by regulation enforcement earlier than harming anybody.”