US: Man fired shots from loaded rifle at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

In a horrific incident, passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the US were horrified after a passenger "accidentally" fired his loaded rifle.

According to a CNN report, the incident caused a flurry of panic among the other passengers present at the airport. Footage from the airport was shared on social media.

The report added that Robert Spinden, federal security director of Transportation Security Administration, Georgia, said the incident happened in the afternoon when a "prohibited item" was marked in a passenger's property while passing through the X-ray. screening at the security checkpoint.

During a secondary search, the passenger went through his luggage and grabbed a firearm inside. Shortly after the bullet was fired, the passenger escaped the security checkpoint through an adjacent exit lane along with the firearm.

Passengers panicked and lay low on the floor to protect themselves from the bullet. According to Reginald L. Moorman, commander of the Atlanta Police Department's airport area, the man responsible for this has been identified as 42-year-old Kenny Wells.

The airport police commander Major Reginald Norman released warrants against Wells on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, firing a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon at a commercial airport and reckless conduct.