In Atlanta’s airport security checkpoint, an unidentified passenger reached into his bag to grab a gun and set it off. Officials said that the incident caused chaos and caused FAA officials to temporarily stop flights on Saturday afternoon. He fled.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, this man was later identified as a felon and ran from the checkpoint with the gun. He then escaped through an airport exit. Officials said that it wasn’t an active shooter incident, and called the firing accidental.

Later, police said that they issued a warrant to arrest the 42-year old Kenny Wells.

Maj. Reginald Moorman was the airport’s commander of police. He said Wells was wanted on several charges, including possessing a concealed weapon in a commercial airport and possession by a felon.

Moorman stated that “we are actively seeking this individual as we talk” at Saturday’s news briefing with TSA officials and airport personnel.

Alarmed passengers posted video to Twitter, and other social media sites, describing the moments of confusion and chaos at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. This airport is among the busiest in America.

According to police, three individuals sustained minor injuries. The first was a fall in the area of the airport that is not visible from the checkpoint. Second, two people complained of having difficulty breathing. The police stated that they needed to manage the crowd until calm returned.

TSA officials said that no one had been shot.

Robert Spinden from the TSA, Georgia’s federal security director, stated that everyone was not seriously hurt when the gun went off. Officials did not immediately reveal the weapon type.

Users on social media reported that there was a long line and some people missed their flights. As people continue to struggle with safety during the COVID-19 epidemic, the incident happened before the Thanksgiving peak holiday travel season.

Officials at the airport said that operations didn’t stop and they did not close the airport despite FAA orders to temporarily suspend ground operations. According to them, the airport was back in normal operation within two hours.

According to the TSA, it began with the passenger being subjected to a bag check by an official at 1:30 pm at the main airport checkpoint. An X-ray scan had detected what was called a “prohibited article.”

He advised the passenger to not touch the item. As he opened the container containing prohibited items, the passenger reached into the bag and pulled out a gun, which ejected. According to the statement, “The passenger fled the area.”

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, social media users fled the airport after the gun went off. Twitter shared a clip that showed some people running away from the terminal while others looked back in an anxious way.

Atlanta police issued the all clear and normal operation resumed before 3:30 pm. TSA stated that all passengers must be rescreened.

TSA stated that the incident highlighted the importance of all travelers checking their belongings for any dangerous items before they travel. Civil penalties will be applied to anyone caught at an airport with a firearm. TSA states that firearms can be checked in baggage if they have been unloaded and stored in a hard-sided, locked case.

Last month, federal officials reported a spike in firearm seizures at Atlanta’s airport — part of a record year for the number of guns detected at airport security checkpoints.

TSA stated that it had seized 391 firearms from Hartsfield Jackson Airport in the first 9 months of 2021. This was an increase from the 220 firearms it seized last year, when passengers were suffering in large part due to the pandemic. It was also a significant increase from the 323 guns seized in Atlanta in 2019.

The TSA reported that it has stopped 44995 passengers flying across the country from bringing firearms on board their planes by October 3rd, exceeding the record 4,432 firearms captured at airport checkpoints throughout 2019.

According to the news release from the agency last month, it noted that this record occurred despite continued drops in passengers due to the pandemic. Authorities didn’t offer any explanations or theories for the sudden spike in gun seizures.

Hartsfield-Jackson airport is the busiest in America, but other U.S. airports have comparable passenger screening volumes. TSA’s second-ranked list was Dallas Forth Worth International Airport, which had 232 guns seized as of Oct. 3. 

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.