Flights briefly halted after accidental gun discharge at Atlanta airport, and three injuries were also reported

November 23, 2021: On Saturday afternoon, an accidental gun discharge at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s security screening area led to all departing flights being briefly halted.

The airport said there was not an active shooter or any ongoing danger to passengers or employees on Twitter. Early reports indicated three people sustained non-life-threatening injuries after the incident, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

“Officials gave an all-clear for #ATLAirport, and normal operations are beginning,” airport officials wrote in a tweet. Details about the incident have not been made available.

The gun discharge happened in a security check at the airport, according to the latest TSA statement:

At 1:30 p.m. today, a property search TSO at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s Main Checkpoint started a bag search due to a prohibited item identified by the X-Ray.  He then said that the passenger not to touch the property, and as he opened the compartment containing the prohibited item, the passenger lunged into the bag, grabbing a firearm, at which point it discharged.  The passenger then fled the area, running out of the airport exit.

Various news outlets reported that witnesses said panic ensued following the gunfire in the airport’s domestic terminal. NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta reported passengers got off planes to wait on the tarmac and around the terminals.

TSA officers have detected over 450 firearms at Atlanta airport checkpoints in 2021, officials said.  Almost 4,500 guns have been seen at airport checkpoints so far this year.

When firearms are detected at U.S. airports, the TSA will assess a civil penalty that varies by the number of offenses and whether the gun was loaded. The complete list of disadvantages is posted on TSA.gov.

Passengers generally may travel with firearms in checked baggage when unloaded and packed in a locked, hard-sided case.

The incident occurred just as expected to be the busiest holiday travel season since the pandemic started. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen almost 20 million people between November 19 and November 28, almost back to 2019 levels.