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Friends and family of 49-year-old Billy Joe Cagle say the Cartersville man, accused of making threats at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, was suffering from a severe mental health crisis in the days leading up to his arrest.
Brother, friend talk about suspect
Cagle’s brother, Scott Nelson, told FOX 5 Atlanta that his sibling “wasn’t in his right mind” when he showed up at the airport with a gun in his truck. Nelson insisted that Cagle “wouldn’t hurt anybody” and believes his brother was not there to harm anyone. “The gun was in the truck — it ain’t like he was toting it around,” Nelson said.
A longtime friend, Nick Roberts, said he noticed concerning posts from Cagle on Facebook over the weekend and called him Sunday to check in. “He laughed it off and said, ‘I love my life and I’m not going to do anything,’” Roberts recalled. “He did say he needed to get back on his medication.”
Records show Cagle is a business owner in Cartersville, known locally as a hardworking man with a “huge heart.” Roberts said he wished he could have done more after their conversation. “I wish he would have mentioned something last night, but he didn’t,” he said.
At a news conference Monday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens confirmed that mental illness appeared to be a contributing factor in the incident.
What led to Cagle’s arrest
According to police, Billy Joe Cagle was taken into custody Monday morning after his family contacted Cartersville police to report that he was driving to Atlanta and threatening to harm as many people as possible. Cartersville officers quickly alerted Atlanta police and provided Cagle’s photo, prompting a coordinated response at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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Security footage shows Cagle arriving at the airport’s South Terminal around 9:29 a.m. and entering through door S1 just minutes later.
Officers located him inside the terminal about 20 minutes after his arrival and arrested him at 9:54 a.m., less than 15 minutes after Atlanta police were first notified of the threats.
Cagle was unarmed when taken into custody, but investigators discovered a loaded AR-15 rifle inside his truck parked outside, with one bullet in the chamber and 26 rounds in the magazine.
Police and city officials have praised Cagle’s family for acting quickly to alert law enforcement, saying their actions likely prevented a tragedy.
“We did have a tragedy averted today,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said, crediting the cooperation between Cartersville and Atlanta officers. Mayor Andre Dickens echoed that sentiment, saying, “Twenty-seven or more lives could have been lost today.” Both leaders highlighted the case as an example of how communication between the public and police can save lives.
Authorities confirmed Cagle, 49, has a prior felony conviction and was not legally permitted to possess a firearm. He now faces multiple charges, including terroristic threats, attempted aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Police said a dog found in his truck was safely returned to relatives.
