An “accidental discharge” of a firearm at Atlanta’s international airport appeared to spark chaos for some travelers Saturday, and resulted in several flight delays.
Just before 3:30 p.m. ET, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport tweeted it received the “all-clear” and “normal operations are beginning.” Departing flights had been under gate holds and experiencing delays of under 15 minutes, while arriving flights experienced similar delays, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Atlanta Police Department said it appears a firearm accidentally discharged near the main security checkpoint around 1:30 p.m. ET. No injuries have been reported, and police said they are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“There is not an active shooter,” the airport tweeted just after the incident. “There was an accidental discharge at the Airport. There is no danger to passengers or employees.”
Videos posted to Twitter appeared to show people lying on the ground at the airport — seemingly trying to take cover — with items of clothing and other personal items strewn across the floor. Other passengers appeared to have been evacuated, with videos showing people standing with their bags on the tarmac.
This comes as the TSA is reporting record numbers of travelers ahead of Thanksgiving. On Friday, the agency said it screened more than 2.2 million travelers — the highest number since the start of the pandemic last year.
