Atlanta airport evacuated after bomb scare

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was briefly evacuated Wednesday morning over a suspicious package that turned out to be a false alarm, though officials said they are continuing to work with law enforcement to monitor the situation.

An unattended bag at the busy Atlanta airport received a “positive hit” from a canine explosives team around 9:41 a.m., according to a statement from officials. The North and South terminals were then evacuated “out of an abundance of caution.”

Passengers were soon allowed to re-enter the terminals when the bag was cleared at 10:03 a.m., but not before a brief moment of panic ensued.

Amid reports that there may have been an active shooter, the Atlanta Police Department tweeted: “There is no active shooter at the airport. A suspicious package has been cleared. ALL is OK!”

Officials and law enforcement were already on high alert and taking steps to tighten security at airports around the country following a string of terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday. Some of the explosions took place near check-in counters at the Brussels airport, which are located farther away from the security screening areas.

Atlanta airport officials said in a statement that they are continuing to investigate the incident and will provide more details when available.