Flight attendants carrying protecting masks stroll by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday, April 7, 2021.
Elijah Nouvelage | Bloomberg | Getty Images
An accidental gun discharge at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s safety screening space on Saturday afternoon led to all departing flights being briefly halted.
The airport mentioned on Twitter there was not an energetic shooter or any ongoing hazard to passengers or workers. Early studies point out three folks sustained non-life-threatening injuries following the incident, in accordance with the Atlanta Police Department.
“Officials have given an all-clear for #ATLAirport and normal operations are beginning,” airport officers tweeted. Details concerning the incident haven’t been made accessible.
The gun discharge occurred throughout a safety test at the airport, in accordance with the most recent TSA assertion:
At roughly 1:30 p.m. [ET] in the present day, a property search TSO at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s (ATL) Main Checkpoint started a bag search as a consequence of a prohibited merchandise recognized by the X-Ray. Â He suggested the passenger to not contact the property, and as he opened the compartment containing the prohibited merchandise, the passenger lunged into the bag and grabbed a firearm, at which level it discharged. Â The passenger then fled the world, operating out of the airport exit.Â
Various information shops reported that witnesses mentioned panic ensued following the gunfire within the airport’s home terminal. NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta reported passengers bought off planes to attend on the tarmac and across the terminals.
TSA officers have detected greater than 450 firearms at Atlanta airport checkpoints in 2021, officers mentioned.  Nearly 4,500 weapons have been detected at airport checkpoints to this point this 12 months.
When firearms are detected at U.S. airports, the TSA will assess a civil penalty that varies by the variety of offenses and whether or not the firearm was loaded. The full list of penalties is posted on TSA.gov.
Passengers typically could journey with firearms in checked baggage when they’re unloaded and packed in a locked, hard-sided case.Â
The incident occurred simply as what’s anticipated to be the busiest vacation journey season because the pandemic started. The Transportation Security Administration mentioned it expects to display screen about 20 million folks between Nov. 19 and Nov. 28, nearly again to 2019 ranges.Â
