(KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash.) — Rescuers in Washington trekked through 5 miles of snow to save two stranded hikers who had “no shelter but a blue plastic tarp,” with officials urging those who go on outdoor adventures to prepare accordingly.
The two hikers had lost their way in “unexpected snow” in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area in the Cascade Mountains shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday when they called the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Department for help.
The hikers used text-to-911 to say they were “lost, wet and cold, with no shelter but a blue plastic tarp” and that they were “unable to make their way off the snowy mountainside where they were perched,” the sheriff’s department said.
After hiking 5 miles through the snowy conditions, rescuers found the hikers, who were “wet and cold but uninjured,” officials said. The hikers were assisted off the slope they were perched on and out of the wilderness, officials said.
The sheriff’s department emphasized that as the seasons change, mountain conditions can change fast.
Officials said any outdoor enthusiast should pack “10 essentials” for any hiking or camping excursion: navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first-aid supplies, fire starters, nutrition, hydration, emergency shelter and a repair kit and tools.
In the wake of several costly rescues over the summer, one official in Washington is proposing an ordinance that would fine an individual “if they are found to be reckless or negligent in their actions where search and rescue is requested to respond.”
“I need to find a creative way to deter the current behavior we are witnessing while attempting to recoup the financial burden placed on our county for an unfunded state mandate,” Skamania County Sheriff Summer Scheyer announced in June after the county experienced a 400% increase in search and rescue missions.
In June, Scheyer said the ordinance was “still in the planning phase,” but believed it would serve as an “added deterrent for those who take exceptional risks and expect the services we are required to provide as a result of their own actions.”
It is unclear whether the ordinance has passed in Skamania County. The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Cris Hazzard, a professional hiking guide and author, known as “The Hiking Guy,” previously told ABC News that several minutes of “homework” before embarking on an outdoor excursion — including checking the website of the trail or park or downloading an app like AllTrails — can help hikers avoid challenging conditions or become aware of specific closures.
(MIAMI) — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, while Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is among several people charged in a separate but related illegal gambling case, authorities announced on Thursday.
Billups, in his fifth season as head coach, was arrested in Oregon, where he is expected to make an initial court appearance on Thursday, sources said.
The poker games were allegedly rigged in favor of those running the games, using advanced technology, such as rigged shuffling machines and even X-ray technology to read cards facing down on the table, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said.
Christopher Raia, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, called it a “massive, nationwide takedown” of 34 defendants in connection with two separate sports betting and illegal poker schemes.
Among the defendants are current and former NBA coaches and players as well as 13 Mafia members and associates, Raia said.
Billups coached the Trail Blazers in their season opener on Wednesday night, a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Billups was also a star player, mostly for the Detroit Pistons, before retiring in 2014. He was a five-time All-Star in his 17 years in the NBA and led the Pistons to the NBA title in 2004, being named Finals MVP.
He was the No. 3 overall pick in 1997 and finished his career with 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were charged in a separate case, authorities announced.
They allegedly passed inside information to four co-defendants, who are accused of passing the information to a network of sports bettors, sources said. Those bettors allegedly placed wagers with online sports books or retail betting outlets, which prohibit betting based on nonpublic information.
The indictment included an example from March 23, 2023, when Rozier — then playing for the Charlotte Hornets — allegedly tipped off a co-defendant that he planned to leave the game early with a purported injury, sources said. He left the game nine minutes in. A co-defendant and others allegedly placed $200,000 in wagers, betting Rozier would underperform his statistics.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the charges at a news conference Thursday, saying over 30 people were arrested in the “historic” and ongoing cases.
Rozier is in his 11th year in the league. He’s appeared in 665 games and has averaged 13.9 points per game over 665 games played. He was a key contributor for the Boston Celtics on playoff runs in 2016-19 before joining the Hornets.
His team opened the 2025 season Wednesday night in Orlando, but Rozier did not play as he deals with a hamstring injury.
Last year, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to wire fraud and received a lifetime NBA ban after he bet on his team to lose, pretended to be hurt for gambling purposes and shared confidential information with gamblers.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
A baby was found on a subway platform in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 20, 2025. (WABC)
(NEW YORK) — The woman charged with abandoning her newborn at a Midtown Manhattan subway station told investigators she gave birth just hours before she left the baby at the bottom of a staircase, according to court documents.
The baby girl was found wrapped in a blanket at the southbound 1 train platform at 34th Street-Penn Station during the Monday morning rush hour, the New York Police Department said. The umbilical cord was still attached, indicating she had likely been born within a few hours, according to the criminal complaint.
The baby was taken to the hospital in stable condition, police said, with New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow calling it “the miracle on 34th Street.”
Police said the mother, 30-year-old Assa Diawara, was caught on surveillance footage carrying a bundle in her arms through the turnstiles at the subway station. More footage showed her leaving the station empty-handed, the complaint said.
Diawara allegedly admitted she was the woman in the videos and said she gave birth late Sunday night into early Monday morning, the complaint said.
Diawara was taken into custody early Wednesday on charges of abandonment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.
Detectives identified her by following a trail of surveillance camera footage, an NYPD official said. Video showed Diawara taking a car service to Jamaica, Queens, and then investigators canvassed the area where she was dropped off and found a neighbor who recognized her from the surveillance footage, the official said.
Diawara has made her first court appearance and was granted supervised release. She is due to return to court in December.
New York’s Abandoned Infant Protection Act permits a parent to leave a newborn in a safe place — like a hospital, police station or fire station — up to 30 days after the baby’s birth. The parent would not be prosecuted and can remain anonymous as long as the baby is left in a safe place and the appropriate person is notified.
(LA MESA, Calif.) — A 25-year-old police officer in California has died in the line of duty after she was hit by a car while stopping to help two motorists involved in a collision, authorities said.
La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven was driving eastbound on Interstate 8 at Fairmount Avenue while returning to the city of La Mesa from San Diego Central Jail when she stopped to assist two motorists involved in a traffic collision on the freeway on Monday night just before 10:30 p.m., according to a statement from the La Mesa Police Department.
“After exiting her vehicle to assist, she was tragically struck and killed by another motorist,” officials said. “California Highway Patrol officers performed lifesaving efforts, but tragically, Officer Craven died at the scene.”
Officer Craven, 25, joined the department in February 2024 and was assigned to the Patrol Division.
The California Highway Patrol is currently handling the investigation and no further information regarding the other parties involved has been made available.
“The La Mesa Police Department would like to thank our allied agencies for their unwavering support,” police said following the announcement of Craven’s death. “We ask that the La Mesa community keep Officer Craven, her family, and the La Mesa Police Department in their thoughts and prayers.”
“Officer Craven’s actions in her final moments exemplified her unwavering dedication to service and the safety of others — a reflection of how she lived every day,” authorities said. “Officer Craven was known for her tenacity, courage, and compassion — qualities that inspired her peers and strengthened her community. “Her legacy of service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James stands silently during a press conference on October 21, 2025 in New York City. James announced a $1.5 million settlement with Alba Services Inc., Andrew Horan, the company’s owner, and a network of demolition and construction companies for violating state workers’ compensation laws and retaliation against injured workers, and for not addressing sexual harassment claims. The company must pay $1.4 million to former and current Alba employees and $100,000 to
(NEW YORK) — New York Attorney General Letitia James launched a portal on Wednesday for members of the public to submit photos and videos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity after federal agents carried out a joint ICE crackdown in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood one day earlier.
In a statement on Wednesday, James vowed to review the materials to determine if any laws were violated, including “unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”
“Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation,” James said. “If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I urge you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to reviewing these reports and assessing any violations of law. No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”
On Tuesday, a large law enforcement presence was seen on Canal Street, a prominent hub for shopping in Lower Manhattan, with ICE and federal partners from multiple agencies conducting a “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation” that was “focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods,” Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Tuesday.
Vendors were seen packing up their tables and attempting to flee the area, which is known for merchants selling designer knockoffs, New York ABC station WABC reported.
On Wednesday morning, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Fox News that New York City will see an “increase in ICE arrests” because there are “so many criminal illegal” immigrants.
“You will see us making those criminal arrests to make New York safe again. It’s definitely intelligence driven, it’s not random. We aren’t pulling people off the street. There was a specific reason based on criminal intelligence and criminal activity that we showed up on Canal Street,” Lyons said.
“The nine arrested, their rap sheets are long,” Lyons told Fox News. “Forgery, possession of drugs, drug trafficking, robbery, assault. These are criminal aliens that were being targeted. We do these based on criminal intelligence and that’s what we had.”
The targeted enforcement is in contrast to U.S. Border Patrol, which has been deployed in Chicago and Los Angeles and does conduct random enforcement actions.
Lyons said store owners had been complaining about the retail for some time.
“If you look at the video, everything was fine with the officers talking to those individuals and making arrests until violent protesters showed up,” Lyons said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the New York City Police Department said on X it had “no involvement in the federal operation that took place on Canal Street.”
A spokesperson for City Hall said in a statement it also had “no involvement in this matter.”
“Mayor Adams has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue the American Dream should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals,” the statement said.
If the circumstances escalate and an individual assaults or interferes with a legal law enforcement action, Mayor Eric Adams has instructed the NYPD to intervene, a source familiar with the situation told ABC News.
Crime rates are at record lows in New York City, according to the latest police data.
Over the first nine months of 2025, the NYPD reported citywide shooting incidents were down more than 20% (553 vs. 693) year-to-date, their lowest level ever.
Murders are also down citywide by more than 17.7% year-to-date and burglaries dropped 3.8% (9,410 vs. 9,783) for the year, the second-lowest level in recorded history.
ABC News’ Peter Charalambous, Aaron Katersky and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
Azia Rodriguez and Brandon Laboy speak out after police officers saved their choking baby, 10-month-old Makai Laboy, who had stopped breathing. (NYPD)
(NEW YORK) — In a matter of seconds, a New York City mom said she worried her 10-month-old boy might not live to see his first birthday after he started to choke and suddenly could not breathe. But thanks to two police officers who saved the child, the “endless bundle of joy” is alive.
“Knowing that my son’s alive, he’s OK, he’s happy, he’s growing, I get to see his first birthday in a month, that’s the biggest blessing I could ever ask for,” the child’s mom, Azia Rodriguez, told ABC News on Wednesday.
On Oct. 10 at approximately 4:40 p.m., officers responded to a 911 call for a choking baby, and once on the scene, observed a “10-month-old male child in an unresponsive state due to an obstruction in his breathing passage,” the New York City Police Department said in a statement to ABC News.
Prior to alerting first responders, Rodriguez said her son, Makai Laboy, had just been put down for a nap. As she was watching him via the baby monitor camera, she noticed he was “tossing and turning back and forth.”
She then went into the room where he was sleeping in their Queens home and saw he was throwing up, she said.
Rodriguez said she immediately picked her son up and placed his chest on her palm to start patting his back, which caused more vomit to come out. Makai was then breathing normally and laughing, but proceeded to throw up again, Rodriguez said.
Then, “two seconds later,” she said phlegm began to come out of his mouth and he was “swallowing it back in,” which appeared to obstruct his airways.
Rodriguez called 911, and officers performed “lifesaving measures which caused the obstruction to be dislodged,” the NYPD said.
Rodriguez said the moment when officers saved Makai “happened so quickly” that she “didn’t acknowledge or grasp what had happened” until after she watched it unfold via the police’s body-worn camera on Tuesday.
In the video, officers are seen repeatedly patting the baby’s back until Makai — who was wearing pajamas adorned with police cars — was able to breathe on his own.
While reliving the harrowing moments was “a lot to process” for Rodriguez, she said she is “more confident in first responders than I’ve even been.”
“Words can’t thank the cops enough for what they did,” Makai’s father, 28-year-old Brandon Laboy, told ABC News
“It showed in a matter of seconds, that situation could have been a thousand times worse than it was. But with their instincts, their quick thinking, they were able to save his life,” Laboy said.
Rodriguez said she is planning on personally thanking the two officers who saved her son, saying she will be “hugging them and never letting them go.”
“When you become a mom, you hear stories like this, but you never think that you’d go through it,” Rodriguez said while holding back tears.
The family, who is getting ready to celebrate Makai’s first birthday on Nov. 12, encouraged parents to “always have a baby camera” and emphasized that in these situations, “every second counts.”
“All that matters is making sure there’s a smile on their face,” Rodriguez told ABC News.
Sean Grayson fatally shot Sonya Massey while responding to her 911 call for help. (Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office)
(PEORIA, Ill.) — The trial began on Wednesday of Sean Grayson, the former sheriff’s deputy, who was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the July 2024 fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 to report a possible intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley, who responded to Massey’s home along with Grayson, took to the witness stand on Wednesday afternoon and testified that Massey did not appear to be a “threat.”
“She never did anything that made me think she was a threat,” Dawson said. “It was essentially the defendants’ actions that raised my sense of awareness,” Farley said of Grayson.
During his testimony, Farley said that he wanted to “do right” by Massey by testifying for the prosecution in this case.
Grayson, a former Sangamon County deputy, was charged with a total of three counts in connection with Massey’s death — first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.
Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, declined to provide comment to ABC News ahead of the trial, but confirmed on Friday that his client has “pleaded not guilty to all charges.”
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser, who delivered opening arguments on Wednesday for the prosecution, walked the jury through key moments during the night that Massey died.
“Make no mistake, we are here in this courthouse today because of the actions of Sean Grayson,” Milhiser said. “On July 6, 2024, in her kitchen, without lawful justification, he shot and killed [Sonya Massey]. That’s why we are here.”
“You will see captured on video what happens when the defendant gets mad at a woman who is standing in her own kitchen calling for help,” he added.
Milhiser said that prosecutors will show the jury the body camera footage, which shows the incident from the point of view of Grayson’s partner, who also responded to the scene. The footage released by Illinois State Police shows the incident from the partner’s point of view because Grayson did not turn on his own body camera until after the shooting, according to court documents reviewed by ABC News.
“The defendant does not turn on his bodycam — Which is a pattern you’ll see throughout this trial,” Milhiser said.
Meanwhile, Grayson’s attorney Daniel Fultz, who delivered opening arguments for the defense on Wednesday, urged jurors not to make up their minds early about this case.
“Making your mind up early closes the possibility you will miss facts that will affect your decision,” Fultz said, arguing that Grayson “believed that he would suffer great bodily harm or death” during his encounter with Massey.
“Ms. Massey made the decision to lift the pot of boiling water above her head to attempt to throw that at Dept. Grayson. It was at that moment and only at that moment that Dept. Grayson discharged his weapon,” Fultz said.
“What happened [to] Ms. Massey was a tragedy. But it was not a crime,” he added.
Witness testimony also began on Wednesday in the trial, which is being held in Peoria, Illinois.
The trial began with jury selection on Monday, where a panel of 12 jurors was seated, according to ABC News’ affiliate in Springfield, WICS. The process took more than five hours and ended with a jury made up of nine white women, one Black man and two white men, as well as two white men and one white woman selected as alternate jurors.
The trial was moved from Sangamon County to Peoria County due to extensive media publicity.
What the video shows
Body camera footage of the incident released by Illinois State Police on July 22, 2024 shows Massey telling the two responding deputies, “Please, don’t hurt me,” once she answered their knocks on her door.
“I don’t want to hurt you; you called us,” Grayson responded.
Later in the video, while inside Massey’s home as she searches for her ID, Grayson points out a pot of boiling water on her stove and says, “We don’t need a fire while we’re in here.”
Massey then appears to pour some of the water into the sink and tells the deputy, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” video shows.
Grayson threatens to shoot her, the video shows, and Massey apologizes and ducks down behind a counter, covering her face with what appears to be a red oven mitt. She briefly rises, and Grayson shoots her three times, the footage shows.
Massey died from a gunshot wound to her head, according to an autopsy report released in July 2024, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon confirmed to ABC News.
Prosecutors alleged that Grayson discouraged his partner from retrieving the medical kit to render aid to Massey after the shooting because he allegedly thought the injuries were too severe to revive her.
“No, headshot, dude. She’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot,” Grayson tells his partner after he says he is going to retrieve the medical kit, body camera video shows. “What else do we do? I’m not taking pot boiling water to the [expletive] face and it already reached us,” Grayson adds.
The judge in the case ruled during a pre-trial hearing last month against the defense’s request to exclude body camera footage that shows what happened after Massey was shot, according to WICS.
Grayson said he feared for his life during his encounter with Massey, according to documents released by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in August 2024.
“While on scene, I was in fear Dep. (redacted) and I were going to receive great bodily harm or death. Due to being in fear of our safety and life, I fired my duty weapon,” Grayson wrote in his field case report.
Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Massey’s family, said during a statement at the time that the autopsy confirmed that this was an “unnecessary, excessive use of force, completely unnecessary, certainly not justified.”
Crump said that Massey struggled with her mental health and body camera footage released in Sept. 2024 shows her interacting with officers on July 5 — 16 hours before she was fatally shot — after her mother called 911 to report that her daughter was having a mental health episode.
A review of the case by the Illinois State Police found Grayson was not justified in his use of deadly force. Garyson was fired in July 2024 by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office after he was indicted in this case.
ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.
The bus was destroyed after the fire. Madera County Public Information Team
(MADERA COUNTY, Calif.) — Two farmworkers were honored Tuesday for rescuing 20 children from a burning school bus last month in California.
Carlos Perea Romero and Angel Zarco were honored by the Madera County Board of Supervisors in a ceremony after they courageously evacuated the flaming bus filled with students on the way to school on Sept. 4.
“All the students made it out safely without any injuries due to the immediate action taken by the farmworkers and the bus driver. The Board of Supervisors recognize the two men for their selfless courage and bravery, demonstrating the highest ideals of public service, compassion and community spirit,” a press release from the ceremony reads.
The duo saw smoke rising from the vehicle near Avenue 8 and Road 23.5 in Madera when they jumped into action and began evacuating the students inside — fighting thick plumes of smoke to get to the back row.
“We were just making sure the kids were far away enough so that they wouldn’t get hurt,” Zarco told ABC News affiliate ABC 30.
“One more moment that would have lasted, I don’t now what would have happened,” Romero said in a post from Madera County.
Zarco added, “I’m just happy to help out the community. This is where I grew up, and I’m just glad to be able to keep somebody safe.”
Madera County sheriff Tyson Pogue told ABC that Romero and Zarco’s actions helped protect the local community.
“We are profoundly grateful to the two farmworkers whose heroic actions saved the lives of more than 20 children. Their quick thinking, bravery, and compassion in the face of danger exemplify the very best of Madera County. Without hesitation, they acted selflessly to protect others. Our community is stronger because of individuals like them, and we are proud of their extraordinary heroism,” he said.
CAL FIRE Division Chief Larry Pendarvis also sang the praises of the heroes at the ceremony.
“I would like to recognize and thank both of you on behalf of Madera County Fire and CAL FIRE for your service above self. The situational awareness and fortitude you showed to help these young children in a time of need was extraordinary,” Pendarvis said.
Federal agents are seen in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood, Oct. 21, 2025. WABC
(NEW YORK) — After federal agents carried out a joint Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood on Tuesday, a federal official said the city will see an “increase in ICE arrests” because there are “so many criminal illegal” immigrants.
“You will see us making those criminal arrests to make New York safe again. It’s definitely intelligence driven, it’s not random. We aren’t pulling people off the street. There was a specific reason based on criminal intelligence and criminal activity that we showed up on Canal Street,” acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Fox News on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, a large law enforcement presence was seen on Canal Street, a prominent hub for shopping in Lower Manhattan, with ICE and federal partners from multiple agencies conducting a “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation” that was “focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods,” Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Tuesday.
Vendors were seen packing up their tables and attempting to flee the area, which is known for merchants selling designer knockoffs, New York ABC station WABC reported.
“The nine arrested, their rap sheets are long,” Lyons told Fox News. “Forgery, possession of drugs, drug trafficking, robbery, assault. These are criminal aliens that were being targeted. We do these based on criminal intelligence and that’s what we had.”
The targeted enforcement is in contrast to U.S. Border Patrol, which has been deployed in Chicago and Los Angeles and does conduct random enforcement actions.
Lyons said store owners had been complaining about the retail for some time.
“If you look at the video, everything was fine with the officers talking to those individuals and making arrests until violent protesters showed up,” Lyons said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the New York City Police Department said on X it had “no involvement in the federal operation that took place on Canal Street.”
A spokesperson for City Hall said in a statement it also had “no involvement in this matter.”
“Mayor Adams has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue the American Dream should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals,” the statement said.
If the circumstances escalate and an individual assaults or interferes with a legal law enforcement action, Mayor Eric Adams has instructed the NYPD to intervene, a source familiar with the situation told ABC News.
Crime rates are at record lows in New York City, according to the latest police data.
Over the first nine months of 2025, the NYPD reported citywide shooting incidents were down more than 20% (553 vs. 693) year-to-date, their lowest level ever.
Murders are also down citywide by more than 17.7% year-to-date and burglaries dropped 3.8% (9,410 vs. 9,783) for the year, the second-lowest level in recorded history.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
Police body camera footage of an arrest at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is shown during a press briefing, Oct. 20, 2025. Atlanta Police Department
(ATLANTA) — A man accused of going to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after making a threat to shoot it up now faces multiple federal charges, the Department of Justice said Tuesday.
Billy Joe Cagle, 49, was taken into custody in a terminal at the airport on Monday after a family member reported the alleged threat to police, authorities said. An AR-15-style firearm was located in his pickup truck, which was parked in a crosswalk in front of the terminal, according to the DOJ.
Cagle has now been charged via criminal complaint with attempted violence at an international airport, interstate communications containing threats to injure the person of another and being a felon in possession of a firearm, the DOJ said Tuesday.
Cagle allegedly threatened to “shoot up the airport” in a FaceTime call, prosecutors said.
He allegedly told the individual on the FaceTime call, “I’m at the airport, and I’m gonna go rat-a-tat-tat,” then abruptly ended the call, the DOJ said in a press release.
In a prior call that morning with the same individual, Cagle allegedly said he had a gun and that he was “driving on Interstate 75 and was going to ‘shoot some cars,'” the federal complaint stated.
Following that call, the individual was en route to the Cartersville Police Department with Cagle’s wife to “report their concern that Cagle was unstable and was on his way to shoot up some cars,” when Cagle made the FaceTime call from the airport, according to the complaint.
The individual reported the alleged shooting threat on the airport, and officers alerted the Atlanta Police Department while providing images of Cagle and a description of his vehicle, the DOJ said.
After arriving at the airport at 9:29 a.m. on Monday, officers encountered him in the terminal at 9:54 a.m. and he was taken into custody unarmed, Atlanta police said.
“As alleged in this complaint, Cagle senselessly threatened to do heinous violence to innocent travelers, at the world’s busiest airport, with a high-powered weapon that he had no legal right to possess,” U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said in a statement. “Thanks to the vigilance of other citizens and the quick action of law enforcement, a horrible tragedy was averted.”
Cagle additionally faces state charges, including terroristic threats and firearm counts, Atlanta police said.
He remains in custody and was scheduled to make his first appearance on the state charges on Wednesday in Clayton County. Online court records did not list any attorney information for him.
In addition to the gun, 27 rounds of ammunition were found in his vehicle, police said.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said he believes Cagle was “scouting” the TSA screening area and was walking back to his truck with the intent to retrieve the weapon when officers, who had been canvassing the area for the suspect encountered him in the terminal.
“The tragedies that we’ve seen play out across our nation didn’t happen here yesterday,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Schierbaum said the incident serves as an example of the system working, where “we ask Americans, if you see something, say something, and we ask your police officers to stand in danger for each of us every day.”
He added, “Yesterday is what played out exactly as we would like it to be.”
Atlanta police said federal authorities are investigating how Cagle obtained a firearm, which was manufactured outside the state of Georgia, according to the federal complaint.
Cartersville Police Capt. Greg Sparacio told reporters on Monday that the department is “familiar” with Cagle and he has a criminal history, including a prior drug possession arrest.
According to the federal complaint, Cagle was convicted in 2000 of felony possession of marijuana and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Officials said Cagle also has a history of mental health challenges.
