A Frontier Airlines plane at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had to be evacuated on November 9 due to a security scare when a passenger discovered a loaded handgun magazine on the floor of the plane.
The aircraft had only recently landed in Atlanta after a short one-hour flight from Cincinnati, and a new set of passengers was boarding the Airbus A320 airplane for its return flight back to CVG.
“On November 9, 2025, around 4:32 PM, officers assigned to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport responded to a call regarding a firearm magazine,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement.
“A passenger on the flight discovered what appeared to be a loaded magazine containing ten hollow-point rounds on board an Airbus A320 aircraft near seat 7A,” the statement continued.
Although the incident occurred on November 9, the Atlanta Police Department has only now released details of the discovery.
The magazine was marked with the initials KH, and law enforcement is working with the FBI on the ongoing investigation.
In the immediate aftermath of the discovery, the police K-9 units, along with the TSA, Homeland Security, and officials from Atlanta’s Department of Aviation, were scrambled as all the passengers were deplaned.
Officers carried out a sweep of the airplane, and all the passengers were rescreened by the TSA before being allowed back on board. In the end, the aircraft departed with a delay of nearly three hours.
The incident occurred just weeks after Atlanta Police foiled an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at Hartsfield-Jackson.
On October 20, police were made aware of a male suspect who had made terroristic threats to “shoot up” the Domestic South Terminal. The suspect, later identified as Billy Jo Cagle, was found near the TSA checkpoint area, where he was immediately detained.
Cagle’s truck was located on the perimeter of the airport, and a rifle was recovered from the backseat. He has been charged with a slew of crimes, including Terroristic Threats, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Criminal Attempt to Commit Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Ammunition is not permitted in carry-on luggage and must be carried in checked luggage in secure boxes.
