The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport experienced
moments of panic on
Saturday
when a firearm was accidentally discharged, surprising hundreds of passengers who fled to seek refuge.
The airport authorities confirmed that
it was not a shooting or an active attacker
, but a gun that was activated by mistake in a security control area of the compound.
"Around 1:30 pm (local time) today a gun was accidentally fired in the security control area. There is no active shooter," the airport clarified through its Twitter account.
"There is no danger to passengers or employees," he added.
Despite everything being a scare, all
departures were temporarily interrupted
, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, for its acronym in English) to the CNN television network.
[A winter storm threatens travel plans for Thanksgiving week]
The incident occurred in the middle of the Thanksgiving holiday travel season, one of the busiest times at airports in the United States.
