ATLANTA — A passenger inadvertently discharged a firearm at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, sending passengers fleeing in a panic.
“At approximately 1:30 pm today a weapon accidently discharged at ATL’s security screening area,” the airport said in a tweet. “There is NOT an active shooter at the airport. APD is on the scene. More information about the situation will be made available on our social media channels.”
The gun was apparently discovered as the passenger pass through a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check point.
The find caused a stir. News outlets like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution publish reports with headlines like, “Atlanta airport security in spotlight after gun discharge.”
But is it any surprise? Based on numbers from the TSA it shouldn’t be.
TSA numbers show the Atlanta airport leads the way for guns discovered at security checkpoint. This as the number of firearms discovered at airports nationwide has steadily increased over the pas decade.