Atlanta police responded Sunday afternoon to reports of an apparent self-inflicted shooting that left one person injured at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Authorities identified the individual as Douglas E. Smith, a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Police said the 59-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm.
Smith was later charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and reckless conduct.
“Officers responded to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where they located a male who sustained an apparent gunshot wound,” the Atlanta Police Department (APD) told Fox News Digital.
According to the police, Smith entered the airport around 3:30 p.m. in the pre-security baggage claim area of the South Terminal. He reportedly went up the escalators, pulled out a handgun, and “intentionally shot himself in the upper left torso.”
Nearby witnesses were able to kick the firearm out of Smith’s hand and notify law enforcement.
“He’s a convicted felon,” Major D. Wilson, of APD, said in a news conference. “Obviously, his conduct was of such a reckless nature, with disregard for the traveling public, for those who are around him.”
Police said officers quickly secured the scene, including the firearm and the surrounding area, and confirmed that no other individuals were injured.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and was alert, conscious and breathing at the time of transport, authorities said. Smith is currently in stable condition and will be transported to jail following his release from the hospital, they added.
Airport operations were also not affected, airport authorities told Fox News Digital.
