Man ‘lunges’ at gun in luggage at Atlanta airport, setting off panic

A man “lunged” for a gun in his luggage at an Atlanta airport Saturday, setting off a blast that sparked chaos and false reports of an active shooter.

The panic began at Hartfield-Jackson International Airport just after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, as a Transportation Security Administration officer searched a bag for a “prohibited item” after it set off the X-ray machine, the TSA said in a statement.

The officer “advised the passenger not to touch the property, and as he opened the compartment containing the prohibited item, the passenger lunged into the bag and grabbed a firearm, at which point it discharged,” officials said.

The passenger was identified as 42-year-old Kenny Wells, who fled the area after the incident, running out of the airport exit, according to officials.

The Atlanta Police Department has issued a warrant for Wells’ arrest on charges of carrying a concealed weapon at a commercial airport and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, officials said at a press conference.

The ensuing frenzy sent travelers running from the airport or hitting the deck, fearing the worst. At least three people were injured with non-life-threatening injuries, TSA said.

According to APD, one individual requested EMS after falling in the atrium of the airport, which is not in the same area of the security checkpoint. Two others said they were experiencing shortness of breath.

Within half an hour, airport officials confirmed that there was no active shooter on scene. TSA said that it decided to initiate a temporary ground stop while the Atlanta Police Department investigated the incident further.

“There is NOT an active shooter at the airport. APD is on the scene. More information about the situation will be made available on our social media channels,” airport officials tweeted at 2:28 p.m. Saturday.

Videos posted on Twitter by user @BlackDiveModels showed at least some sections of the airport had been evacuated, with hundreds of people left waiting on the tarmac outside the terminal.

In one video, air travelers can be seen lying next to their luggage on the ground inside the airport as staffers repeatedly urge them to “Get down!” Another clip showed a woman evacuating onto the tarmac as siren blare in the background.

“Something crazy happened and they’re making all of us evacuate on the tarmac,” the woman said. “This is very disturbing. Oh my god. I’m shaking.”

Airport officials tweeted at 1:57 p.m. that no “active shooter” existed, and that nobody at the airport was in danger.

“There is not an active shooter. There was an accidental discharge at the Airport. There is no danger to passengers or employees. An investigation is ongoing,” the tweet said.

By 3:20 p.m., APD cleared the airport and TSA began rescreening passengers, officials said.

Source: New York Post