10/20/2025
: A Cartersville man faces charges after threatening to shoot up the airport, police say.
A potential tragedy was narrowly avoided Monday morning thanks to quick action by law enforcement and the vigilance of family members who alerted police to a possible threat at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens praised first responders, saying, “More than two dozen lives were saved today.”
According to the City of Atlanta Police Department, officers arrested Billy Cagle, 49, of Cartersville, after receiving reports that he had posted a video on social media claiming he was en route to “shoot up” the airport.
Authorities said Cagle arrived at the airport at 9:29 a.m., though officers were not yet aware of the threat at that time. It wasn’t until 9:40 a.m. that the Cartersville Police Department notified Atlanta Police after Cagle’s family reached out with concerns about his livestream.
Within minutes, airport security teams and police began an urgent search. Officers located and arrested Cagle by 9:54 a.m. near the domestic terminal.
While Cagle did not have a weapon on him during the arrest, investigators found his truck parked just outside the terminal doors, where a firearm with 27 rounds of ammunition was later discovered.
Atlanta Police Chief credited his officers’ swift response, saying he believed Cagle was walking back to his vehicle to retrieve the weapon when he was stopped. “Had our team been even a few minutes later, this could have been a very different story,” the Chief said.
Video footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows Cagle’s truck pulling up to the terminal and later captures him walking into the TSA checkpoint area.
Authorities confirmed that Cagle is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing fi****ms.
Mayor Dickens and Chief of Police both thanked Cagle’s family for quickly contacting law enforcement, calling their action “instrumental in preventing what could have been a mass-casualty event.”
An investigation is ongoing, and Cagle remains in custody facing multiple charges.