Federal charges for man accused of threatening to shoot up Atlanta airport

(ATLANTA) — A man accused of going to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after making a threat to shoot it up now faces multiple federal charges, the Department of Justice said Tuesday.

Billy Joe Cagle, 49, was taken into custody in a terminal at the airport on Monday after a family member reported the alleged threat to police, authorities said. An AR-15-style firearm was located in his pickup truck, which was parked in a crosswalk in front of the terminal, according to the DOJ.

Cagle has now been charged via criminal complaint with attempted violence at an international airport, interstate communications containing threats to injure the person of another and being a felon in possession of a firearm, the DOJ said Tuesday.

Cagle allegedly threatened to “shoot up the airport” in a FaceTime call, prosecutors said.

He allegedly told the individual on the FaceTime call, “I’m at the airport, and I’m gonna go rat-a-tat-tat,” then abruptly ended the call, the DOJ said in a press release.

In a prior call that morning with the same individual, Cagle allegedly said he had a gun and that he was “driving on Interstate 75 and was going to ‘shoot some cars,'” the federal complaint stated.

Following that call, the individual was en route to the Cartersville Police Department with Cagle’s wife to “report their concern that Cagle was unstable and was on his way to shoot up some cars,” when Cagle made the FaceTime call from the airport, according to the complaint.

The individual reported the alleged shooting threat on the airport, and officers alerted the Atlanta Police Department while providing images of Cagle and a description of his vehicle, the DOJ said.

After arriving at the airport at 9:29 a.m. on Monday, officers encountered him in the terminal at 9:54 a.m. and he was taken into custody unarmed, Atlanta police said.

“As alleged in this complaint, Cagle senselessly threatened to do heinous violence to innocent travelers, at the world’s busiest airport, with a high-powered weapon that he had no legal right to possess,” U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said in a statement. “Thanks to the vigilance of other citizens and the quick action of law enforcement, a horrible tragedy was averted.”

Cagle additionally faces state charges, including terroristic threats and firearm counts, Atlanta police said.

He remains in custody and was scheduled to make his first appearance on the state charges on Wednesday in Clayton County. Online court records did not list any attorney information for him.

In addition to the gun, 27 rounds of ammunition were found in his vehicle, police said.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said he believes Cagle was “scouting” the TSA screening area and was walking back to his truck with the intent to retrieve the weapon when officers, who had been canvassing the area for the suspect encountered him in the terminal.

“The tragedies that we’ve seen play out across our nation didn’t happen here yesterday,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Schierbaum said the incident serves as an example of the system working, where “we ask Americans, if you see something, say something, and we ask your police officers to stand in danger for each of us every day.”

He added, “Yesterday is what played out exactly as we would like it to be.”

Atlanta police said federal authorities are investigating how Cagle obtained a firearm, which was manufactured outside the state of Georgia, according to the federal complaint.

Cartersville Police Capt. Greg Sparacio told reporters on Monday that the department is “familiar” with Cagle and he has a criminal history, including a prior drug possession arrest.

According to the federal complaint, Cagle was convicted in 2000 of felony possession of marijuana and was sentenced to two years in prison.

Officials said Cagle also has a history of mental health challenges.