Man brings gun into ATL airport then shoots himself in torso, APD says
- - Man brings gun into ATL airport then shoots himself in torso, APD says
Irene Wright, USA TODAY December 22, 2025 at 10:24 PM
0
A 59-year-old man is accused of bringing a firearm into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before shooting himself at the baggage claim, police say.
About 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 21, a man later identified as Douglas E. Smith, entered the Atlanta airport with a handgun, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Smith went up the escalators to the upper level of the baggage claim area, police said, before firing the weapon at himself.
Witness steps in
He suffered a gunshot wound in the upper right torso, according to police.
Smith "fell to the ground," and another airport patron was able to kick the gun out of his hands while calling police.
When officers arrived, Smith was "alert, conscious, breathing and was transported to the hospital for treatment," police said. He was in stable condition as of Sunday evening.
Shooter facing charges
Due to the public nature of the shooting, and the fact that Smith is a convicted felon, charges have been brought against him.
Smith was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and reckless conduct, Atlanta Police said.
He will be taken into custody at the Clayton County Jail once released from the hospital, police said.
Previous shooting narrowly avoided
Smith bringing a handgun into the Atlanta airport comes just two months after a 49-year-old Cartersville, Georgia man was accused of plotting to carry out a mass shooting in the terminal.
The family of Billy Jo Cagle alerted police about threats the man had made on Oct. 20, and he was taken into custody inside the domestic terminal, USA Today previously reported.
"Safety is obviously our number one priority. The Atlanta airport is by far and away one of the safest major airports in the entire world," a lieutenant with the Atlanta Police Department said in a Dec. 21 video.
Normal travel operations were not disrupted due to the shooting, an airport representative said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or is in need of support, call or text 988 for help.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man with self-inflicted gunshot wound at ATL baggage claim charged
Source: “AOL Breaking”
