Atlanta, GA
Police arrest man at Atlanta airport after getting tip he was planning to ‘shoot it up’
Police arrested a man at Atlanta’s bustling airport on Monday after getting a tip from his family that he was planning to shoot up the place – and found an assault rifle and ammunition in his truck outside, the city’s police chief said.
Billy Joe Cagle, of Cartersville, Georgia, had described his plan to shoot up the world’s busiest airport on a social media livestream, said Darin Schierbaum, the chief of police, during a news conference.
“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,” Schierbaum said.
Cagle, 49, arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta international airport in a Chevrolet pickup truck that was parked right outside the doors to the airport terminal. When police went to the vehicle, they found an AR-15 with 27 rounds of ammunition, Schierbaum said.
“We’re here today briefing you on a success and not a tragedy because a family saw something and said something,” the chief said.
Greg Sparacio, the Cartersville police captain whose department received the initial tip from family members, said Cagle “had the intention to inflict harm to as many people as he could”.
During the news conference, police showed surveillance video that shows Cagle arriving at the airport and officers’ body-worn camera video of his arrest.
A Chevrolet flatbed pickup truck is seen arriving curbside at the airport terminal around 9.30am, and then a man police identified as Cagle is seen entering the airport a few minutes later. He walks over to the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint and had “high interest in that area”, Schierbaum said.
Body-camera footage shows Atlanta police officers, who had a photo of Cagle provided by his family on their phones, approach him and start asking him questions before taking him into custody. As they take him to the ground and put handcuffs on him, Cagle can be heard yelling.
Cagle has been charged with 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 previously convicted felon, Schierbaum said.
Cagle was booked into the Clayton county detention facility on Monday evening, according to online jail records. Attempts to reach his family and co-workers through multiple phone numbers and emails were unsuccessful. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could comment on the charges.
Nick Roberts, who has known Cagle since high school, texted his friend Sunday night after being concerned by Facebook posts he had made. He said Cagle was struggling with mental health issues. Cagle had posted on Facebook earlier Sunday that he is schizophrenic and was taking medication.
Roberts said Cagle called him at about 9pm Sunday night and assured him he was OK. Roberts said Cagle loved his two daughters and worked hard hauling hay and doing fencing work.
“I want folks to know that he wasn’t some monster,” Roberts said. “This was a very big surprise for a lot of us that went to high school with him and know him in the community.”
Atlanta police will work with federal authorities to determine how he obtained the gun, “which he was not able to legally possess”, Schierbaum said.
Andre Dickens, the mayor of Atlanta, said “we’re thankful to God” that a tragedy was averted.
“We’re thankful to God and to good information, and good intel, and good people for this crisis being averted,” Dickens said.
Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, said in a post on the social platform X: “I am thankful this individual was taken into custody by law enforcement before harming anyone.”
Finally, the Falcons have elevated Robinson and Drummond to the active roster, the latter likely to accommodate better depth at receiver with Drake London out with a knee injury.
This is Robinson’s second consecutive elevation (Week 11 and 12) and Drummond’s third overall (Week 8, 9 and 12).
Reminder: Every team can elevate two players from the practice squad to the active roster for each game day. A player is allowed three elevations per season. A fourth elevation would require the player to be signed to the 53-man roster. Drummond officially falls into that category following his third elevation.
2025 Standard Practice Squad Elevations
Week 1: WR David Sills V | RB Carlos Washington Jr.
Week 6: CB Keith Taylor | WR Deven Thompkins
Week 8: WR Dylan Drummond | QB Easton Stick
Week 9: WR Dylan Drummond
Week 10: CB Keith Taylor | OL Joshua Gray
Week 11: CB Cobee Bryant | S Jammie Robinson
Atlanta Hawks (9-7, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (2-14, 15th in the Western Conference)
New Orleans; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawks -8.5; over/under is 230.5
BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans heads into the matchup with Atlanta as losers of eight games in a row.
The Pelicans have gone 1-7 in home games. New Orleans gives up 121.8 points to opponents and has been outscored by 12.5 points per game.
The Hawks are 7-3 on the road. Atlanta is second in the Eastern Conference with 30.4 assists per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 6.6.
The Pelicans average 109.3 points per game, 6.4 fewer points than the 115.7 the Hawks give up. The Hawks average 117.8 points per game, 4.0 fewer than the 121.8 the Pelicans allow to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Trey Murphy III is shooting 47.0% and averaging 20.3 points for the Pelicans. Jeremiah Fears is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Johnson is averaging 22.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 38 points, five assists and three blocks over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 2-8, averaging 110.3 points, 41.8 rebounds, 23.5 assists, 10.2 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.4 points per game.
Hawks: 6-4, averaging 118.7 points, 40.8 rebounds, 31.6 assists, 10.7 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.1 points.
INJURIES: Pelicans: Karlo Matkovic: day to day (calf), Dejounte Murray: out (leg), Jordan Poole: day to day (knee).
Hawks: N’Faly Dante: out (knee), Nikola Đurisic: out (elbow), Trae Young: out (knee), Onyeka Okongwu: day to day (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Two Atlanta children are safe after a terrifying ordeal at Peachtree Center left them trapped inside an elevator shaft for hours — prompting a complex rope rescue by the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department’s Special Operations team.
Fire officials say they respond to as many as 2,000 elevator entrapment calls each year, but this one was far from routine.
A trip for lunch turns into a scare
What began as a simple afternoon walk to get lunch quickly turned into panic for 13-year-old Johnny Jones and his 11-year-old cousin, Malai Moore.
The elevator they were riding in abruptly stopped between floors inside the Peachtree Center complex — leaving them stuck with no access from the parking deck or any residential level.
“It is actually a blind elevator shaft… they had no way to get to them,” said Battalion Chief Lem Mullins.
With no reachable entry point, firefighters first tried calling the elevator company to reset the system. They couldn’t reach anyone for hours.
A complicated rescue from above
Realizing the children couldn’t be accessed from any floor, Fire Rescue Special Operations crews initiated a vertical rescue from the top of the elevator car. Video from inside the shaft shows firefighters Ross and Captain Moss descending toward the trapped children.
“We had to build a rope system to go in at the top of the car… then send a second rescuer down to put the harness on the kids,” Chief Mullins explained.
The elevator was suspended roughly 75 feet above the bottom of the shaft.
Inside, Johnny and Malai were trying to stay calm — pressing buttons, trying to call for help, and holding onto each other.
“It was scary and I was very terrified because I didn’t know what else would happen,” Malai said.
Johnny admitted two things crossed his mind: “I hope we get out sooner than later… and I hope we don’t die in here.”
“I needed to keep them awake”
Outside the shaft, Johnny’s mother could hear the fear in their voices as she called repeatedly to reassure them help was coming.
“They were hungry, cold, sleepy… I was calling to make sure they stayed awake so when the firefighters came down they would know what was going on,” she said.
After hours inside the stalled elevator, firefighters successfully lifted both children to safety — cold, shaken, but uninjured.
“I said thank God that it is over,” Johnny said once he reached solid ground.
A reunion — and some celebrating
On Friday, the children were reunited with the firefighters who rescued them. Crews surprised Johnny and Malai with gift bags and a special tour of the firetruck used in the rescue.
Fire officials say specialized rope rescues like this are highly technical but something they train for regularly.
“Special training and teamwork made this rescue seem easy,” firefighters told CBS News Atlanta.
As for the kids, they’re grateful, relieved — and maybe rethinking their next ride.
Johnny and Malai say they’ll be taking the stairs for a while.
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