A shot at a security check caused panic at Atlanta airport (USA) on Saturday. Apparently a gun had been accidentally fired – the owner fled.
The unintentional unloading of a weapon at the international airport in the US metropolis of Atlanta caused panic among passengers. “There is no active shooter,” Hartfield Jackson Airport administration tweeted on Saturday. Rather, a weapon was unintentionally loaded during the security check.
After the loud shot, many people ran away, some fell. According to the authorities, three people were injured in the incident, but no information was given on the nature of their injuries. Airport operations were resumed following just under two hours.
The incident is now being investigated, it said. According to the airport administration, security guards noticed a weapon during the bag check. When the owner wanted to take the gun, it went off unintentionally. The gun owner ran away, but the police knew his identity, it said.
People ducked or ran away
Video footage shown by the US news channel CNN showed how many people in the airport building ducked or ran away following the loud shot. Some bumped into suitcases or posts as they fled. “Down! Down!” can be heard on the recording.
A gun attack was initially suspected. A CNN reporter, whose plane was regarding to land in Atlanta, said the pilot informed passengers that there was an “active gunner” and that they were not allowed to land. Operations at the airport later returned to normal.
In the state of Georgia, whose capital is Atlanta, a controversial 2014 law allows legal firearms to be carried in public areas of airports as well as schools, churches and pubs. However, under federal law, it is illegal to bring a gun into a TSA controlled area.
The incident at the airport happened on a particularly busy weekend. Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on Thursday. Millions of people visit their relatives on this occasion.
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