Authorities are searching for a man who fled Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after the accidental discharge of a firearm the man was carrying.
The weapon fired around 1:30 pm ET on Nov. 20 when an X-ray screening detected the gun at a security checkpoint, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Georgia federal security director Robert Spinden said in a news conference. The weapon was flagged for “secondary search.”
“During that secondary search, the passenger lunged into his property, grabbing a firearm that was located inside, which ultimately discharged,” Spinden said. “The passenger then fled the security checkpoint through an adjacent exit lane with his firearm.”
There were no casualties, though the incident did send the airport crowd into a panic, during which three individuals suffered non-life-threatening injuries. According to a statement released by the TSA, all injuries were sustained by adults and resulted from evacuation attempts rather than discharge from the firearm. The discharged round did not fire into the crowd and instead discharged into the suspect’s other possessions.
The firearm owner has been identified as Kelly Wells, 42, Atlanta Police Department Airport Precinct Commander Reginald L. Moorman told CNN on Nov. 21. “We have taken out warrants for carrying concealed a weapon at a commercial airport, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharging a firearm, and reckless conduct,” Moorman said. “We are actively pursuing this individual.”
All flights were temporarily grounded after the incident, but the grounding lifted later the same day. The airport resumed normal operations, and officials announced on Twitter that “there is no danger to passengers or employees.”
Details regarding the firearm have not been released, and as of Nov. 29, Wells is not known to have been located or detained. The FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) are assisting Georgia law enforcement in investigation efforts, an ATF spokesperson told CNN. A White House official told CNN that the White House is monitoring the incident, referring further questions to Georgia police.
