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Police Identify and Charge 59-Year-Old After Self-Inflicted Shooting at Atlanta Airport

Police plan to take the convicted felon into custody after his hospital release.

Overview

  • Douglas E. Smith brought a handgun into Hartsfield-Jackson’s South Terminal and shot himself near the upper-level baggage claim around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, police said.
  • Officers found him alert, conscious and breathing before he was transported to a hospital, where he was reported in stable condition that evening.
  • A nearby passenger intervened by disarming Smith before police secured the weapon and the scene, according to officials.
  • Smith, a convicted felon, faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and reckless conduct.
  • Airport officials said passengers were not endangered and normal operations continued as investigators work to determine the motive.