ATLANTA, Ga. — Jim Cooley dropped off his daughter at the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta with his wife and his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle by his side.
Though his choice of accessory turned the heads of flyers and security alike, everything Cooley did was perfectly legal, the New York Daily News reports.
Cooley, a native of Chicago, told the New York Daily News that he is allowed to carry the rifle in the airport and has no concerns about igniting fears in people who see him packing heat in a public place.
“People think that if you’re simply carrying your firearm, regardless of how you’re carrying it, you’re a bad person,” he said. “But if you’re not carrying it in a menacing or threatening manner, it should be no cause for concern for anybody.”
A Georgia state law passed in July allows licensed gun owners to carry their weapons in a variety of public places, including bars, school grounds, places of worship and some areas of commercial airports, the News York Daily News reports.
Cooley also took a variety of photos and videos like the one above, depicting his confrontations with law enforcement officers in the airport.
Georgia law permits carrying a loaded AR-15 thru parts of #Atlanta Airport & this man did it http://t.co/h3YkAeuH1q pic.twitter.com/cWcnPmfpin
— Joe Floccari NewsGuy (@JoeFloccari) June 2, 2015
