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Guy with gun at Atlanta airport Facetime’s family to say he’s going on shooting spree, halted by authorities

October 21, 2025 | | Print Article

A Cartersville, Georgia, man who reportedly intended to shoot up Atlanta’s main airport was arrested after his family tipped off authorities.

While on his way to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this Monday morning, suspect Billy Joe Cagle, 49, FaceTimed his family to tell them his intentions, according to Newsweek.

Shortly after the phone call, his family called the Cartersville police to alert them of the threat. The Cartersville police then alerted the Atlanta police, who promptly responded to the threat.

“The Cartersville Police Department was alerted by the family of Mr. Cagle that he was streaming on social media that he was headed to the Atlanta airport, in their words, to ‘shoot it up,’ and the family stated that he was in possession of an assault rifle,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum later said during a press conference.

When Cagle arrived at the airport at 9:30 am, he parked his Chevrolet pickup truck by the curb outside the terminal (reportedly blocking traffic) and then went inside to scope it out, according to Schierbaum.

“He seemed to be very interested in the TSA check-in area, which you can see was heavily, heavily crowded with travelers,” the police chief said.

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He was approached shortly thereafter by Atlanta police officers. They initially questioned him before quickly moving in for the arrest.

Following his arrest, the police found an AR-15-style rifle with 27 rounds of ammunition in his parked car outside the terminal. Schierbaum believes that Cagle had been headed back to his truck to retrieve the weapon when he was caught.

“I do believe that Mr. Cagle was headed back to his truck to retrieve it, and I do believe he was likely to use that weapon inside the crowded terminal,” the police chief said.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said during the press conference that the situation “could have been tragic but was averted,” stressing that “27 or more lives could have been lost today.”

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Dickens also revealed that Cagle was suffering from some sort of mental health crisis during the whole incident.

The Cartersville police revealed that Cagle has a criminal history stemming from a marijuana possession charge he earned decades ago.

Cagle was charged with terroristic threats, criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Mayor Dickens later thanked Cagle’s family and the police in Cartersville and Atlanta for his capture.

“We’re thankful to God and to good information, and good intel, and good people for this crisis being averted,” he said.

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According to the New York Post, Cagle wrote a disturbing message to his children on Facebook a day prior to the incident.

“I told my kids if anything happens to me, sue, they can get 50-100 million,” he wrote.

He also revealed in comments that he takes medication for schizophrenia.

“Sometimes I think I’m being set up or someone is going to kill me. Shot me, set the house on fire, make it look like it blew up,” he said. “Make it look like suicide.”

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The incident occurred the same day that the Atlanta airport warned passengers of longer wait times due to staffing shortages.

Vivek Saxena
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