Atlanta airport shooting leaves 1 injured in self-inflicted incident
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Atlanta police On Sunday afternoon, Hartsfield-Jackson responded to reports of an apparently self-inflicted shooting at Atlanta International Airport that left one person injured.
Authorities identified this individual as Douglas E. Smith, a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Police said the 59-year-old man suffered 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 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where they located a male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound,” the Atlanta Police Department (APD) told Fox News Digital.
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Officers secure an area near the South Terminal escalators following a shooting at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Dec. 21, 2025. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
According to police, Smith entered the airport through the South Terminal’s pre-security baggage claim area around 3:30 p.m. He reportedly went up the escalator, pulled out a handgun, and “intentionally shot himself in the upper left torso.”
Nearby witnesses were able to remove the firearm from Smith’s possession and notify law enforcement.
“He is a convicted felon,” Major D. Wilson of the APD said at a news conference. “Clearly, his behavior was of such a reckless nature that he showed complete disregard for the traveling public and those around him.”
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Police officers stand near the South Terminal escalators next to the baggage claim area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after a man suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Dec. 21, 2025. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
Police said officers quickly secured the scene, including the firearm and perimeter, and confirmed no one else was injured.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and was conscious and breathing when he was transported, authorities said. They added that Smith is currently in stable condition and will be transferred to the prison once he is released from the hospital.
Travelers are seen passing through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 2, 2022. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Airport officials told Fox News Digital that airport operations were also unaffected.
