Man Arrested at Atlanta Airport After Threats

On Oct. 20, 2025, Atlanta police arrested 49-year-old Billy Joe Cagle at Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport after his family tipped that he planned to “shoot it up” during a social-media livestream. Officers detained Cagle near a crowded TSA check‑in area; he was unarmed when taken into custody. Investigators found an AR‑15–style rifle and about 27 rounds in his Chevrolet pickup parked outside the south terminal, and a dog found in the truck was returned to the family. Cagle, a convicted felon whom Mayor Andre Dickens described as having "mental challenges," is charged with 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 felon. Officials credited the family tip and a multiagency response with averting a potential mass shooting, and investigators are probing how Cagle obtained the weapon and whether further charges will be filed.