Man With Assault Rifle Cruises Atlanta Airport

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A Winder man has caused a firestorm of controversy by openly carrying an assault rifle into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s ticketing area.

According to WSB-TV, Jim Cooley was simply dropping off his daughter at the airport last Thursday to go on a vacation and was carrying the AR-15 slung across his chest for protection. Cooley told the station he was approached by Atlanta police, who first questioned whether he had a permit for the weapon, then followed him to his car as he left with his wife.

11 Alive News reports that Cooley was confronted by officers inside the airport, but he walked away from them after they told him he was not being detained. Cooley recorded his encounters with the officers and uploaded the interactions to YouTube.

Pictures of Cooley with his daughter and assault rifle inside the ticketing area of the airport have caused a commotion on social media, especially after Cooley sent the picture to WSB-TV.

As it turns out, Cooley was entirely within his rights to carry the weapon inside the airport. House Bill 60 (the Safe Carry Protection Act), which went into effect on July 1, 2014, allows licensed gun owners to bring guns into a variety of places formerly barred. There are a number of rules, requirements and exceptions included in the text of the bill – churches, for example, may decide on an individual basis whether that church will allow guns inside.

The ticketing area of Hartsfield-Jackson is one of the places gun owners can now possess their weapons, but no firearms can be taken into secured areas of the airport under the jurisdiction of the TSA. Cooley understood and respected this provision, but told WSB-TV that rights that are not exercised by citizens can be easily taken away by the government.

When asked by the New York Daily News if he understood why some people would be afraid of a man walking through the airport with a gun, Cooley said that he expects people to know the laws regarding firearms and added that those who are afraid of seeing guns should stay at home.