Police say a potentially catastrophic mass shooting at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was narrowly averted after officers intercepted a man allegedly planning to open fire inside one of the world’s busiest travel hubs.
Authorities identified the suspect as 49-year-old Billy Joe Cagle of Cartersville, Georgia.
He was taken into custody Monday morning after reportedly threatening relatives over FaceTime that he intended to carry out a rampage at the airport.
According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, the quick actions of family members and responding officers prevented what could have been a deadly attack.
Around 9:40 a.m., Cagle’s relatives contacted police in Cartersville, telling them he had made disturbing statements and sent video of himself discussing his plans.
They also provided a photo of him to authorities, who immediately alerted Atlanta officers stationed at the airport.
Family members told investigators that Cagle had been livestreaming on social media shortly before arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson.
Officers located him in one of the terminals within minutes of the warning call.
When police approached, Cagle was unarmed. Body camera footage showed him telling officers he had been dropped off and was “just here.”
Despite his calm demeanor, investigators soon discovered that his pickup truck, parked near the terminal, contained an AR-15 rifle and 27 rounds of ammunition. The truck was also blocking traffic outside the airport.
Chief Schierbaum said investigators believe Cagle initially entered the terminal unarmed to scout the area and intended to return to his truck to retrieve the rifle.
He said officers reached the suspect just as he was heading back toward the vehicle.
The police chief later told reporters he was convinced the man “was likely to use that weapon in the crowded terminal he had just seen.”
Cagle was taken into custody at 9:54 a.m.—less than 15 minutes after police received the tip.
Officials said the rapid coordination between Cartersville and Atlanta officers likely prevented mass casualties.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens described the arrest as a close call that “could have been tragic but was averted,” saying, “27 or more lives could have been lost today.”
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Authorities noted that Cagle appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis.
Cartersville police confirmed he has a criminal record, including a marijuana possession conviction more than 20 years ago.
Cagle faces charges of making terroristic threats, criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
City officials credited Cagle’s family with saving lives by alerting police. “Today is how it should work,” Chief Schierbaum said.
“Community, law enforcement, dedicated men and women wearing the uniform and trained to respond when their community needs them.”
Authorities highlighted that from the moment Cartersville police received the call to the time of the arrest, less than half an hour had passed.
Mayor Dickens later drew comparisons between this near-tragedy and recent deadly incidents in Atlanta involving firearms and mental illness.
“We’re experiencing across the nation and even in this city where guns and mental health together can be deadly,” he said. “We’re thankful this crisis was averted today.”
The episode comes just weeks after a deadly shooting outside the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, located in Atlanta.
That August 8 attack left one police officer dead and rattled employees at the federal campus.
Authorities said the gunman in that case, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, Georgia, opened fire from across the street, unleashing more than hundreds of bullets into the CDC’s windows before being found dead inside a nearby CVS pharmacy.
Police later said it was unclear whether he was killed by officers’ gunfire or his own.
Officer David Rose of the DeKalb County Police Department was fatally struck during the assault.
“This officer responded to the call as he did, as he was trained to do, and during that incident, he received gunfire, and he lost his life in this incident,” Interim Chief Greg Padrick said. “He was committed to serving the community.”
Dr. Susan Monarez, director of the CDC, issued a statement after the August attack saying the agency was “heartbroken” by the violence.
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of everyone at CDC,” she said.
“We are actively coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to fully investigate the shooter and this tragic crime.”
Investigators later revealed that White had broken into a locked gun safe at his parents’ home to access firearms used in the attack.
Inside the home, police found written materials voicing his anger toward COVID-19 vaccines.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said the writings showed White wanted “to make the public aware of his discontent with the vaccine.”
Authorities recovered five firearms from the residence, including the weapon used in the shooting.
Hosey said White’s family had contacted law enforcement weeks earlier due to concerns about his suicidal thoughts.
Hosey confirmed that White had forcibly opened the safe, saying, “He broke into it.”
In Atlanta, officials said the near-miss at Hartsfield-Jackson underscores the strain mental illness and gun access have placed on law enforcement in recent months.
“We are lucky that quick action by family members and trained officers prevented what could have been one of the darkest days at our airport,” Mayor Dickens said.
The investigation into Cagle’s actions remains ongoing as prosecutors prepare to bring formal charges.
