Man Carries Loaded AR-15 Semiautomatic Rifle into Airport -- Security Today

Man Carries Loaded AR-15 Semiautomatic Rifle into Airport

By Ginger Hill
Jun 05, 2015

Under the belief that if Americans don’t practice their rights, the government doesn’t hesitate in taking them away, gun-packing papa Jim Cooley walked into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport with his daughter to drop her off for her flight. And, with a loaded AR-15 semiautomatic rifle slung over his shoulder, Cooley’s actions were perfectly legal.

The HB 512 Safe Carry Protection Act, one of Georgia’s gun laws that were passed in 2014, allows people to openly carry firearms in an airport as long as they don’t try to pass through security. So, when police officers approached Cooley to ask why he was carrying weapon with an extended capacity 100-round magazine, he simply replied, “Safety.”

Cooley later spoke with WBS-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta.

“It shouldn’t matter what I carry, just that I choose to carry. You never know when something might happen.”

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

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