Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum speaks during a press conference at the Atlanta Police Department headquarters in Atlanta, regarding a Cartersville man, Billy Cagle, who threatened to “shoot up” the airport. (AP) A man was arrested by authorities from inside the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday after a tip from his family that he was planning to “shoot up” the airport, the city’s police chief said, adding that an assault rifle and ammunition was recovered in his truck parked outside of the airport, AP reported.
During a press briefing, Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said that the man, Billy Joe Cagle, of Cartersville, Georgia had detailed his plan to “shoot up” one of the world’s busiest airports during a social media livestream. At the time of his arrest, Cagle was not armed but police found an “AR-15 assault rifle” in his truck parked outside.
Police Chief Daris described Cagle as a “convicted felon” and said, “The Cartersville Police Department was alerted by the family of Mr. Cagle that he was streaming on social media that he was headed to the Atlanta airport, in their words, to ‘shoot it up,’ and the family stated that he was in possession of an assault rifle,” AP reported.
The authorities stated Cagle arrived at the Atlanta airport in a Chevrolet pickup truck which was parked outside of the airport terminal. As police searched the vehicle, they found an assault rifle with 27 rounds of ammunition. Cartersville police Capt. Greg Sparacio, whose department had first received the tip from the family members, said Cagle “had the intention to inflict harm to as many people as he could.”
According to a search by the Georgia Department of Corrections, Cagle was convicted of marijuana possession more than two decades ago, CNN reported.
Cagle has now been charged with making 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 felon, police confirmed.
As per the online jail records, Cagle has been booked into the Clayton County Detention Facility, AP reported.
(with inputs from AP)
