ISIS Atlanta, US Threat Not Credible

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

Kasim Reed on rumored Atlanta terror threats: Don’t ‘let fear guide you’ - The FBI says the threat is not credible, but a rumored ISIS attack at a wrestling event Sunday night at Philips Arena was enough to put city officials and fans on high alert.

In an emailed statement, Mayor Kasim Reed said he decided to open the city’s Joint Operations center “out of an abundance of caution.

“Over the past week, the City of Atlanta has increased security for all operations, including at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Atlanta Streetcar and for major public events,” Reed said. “There are several events in our city tonight, including the WWE Survivor Series, the Atlanta Falcons game, and the Macy’s Great Tree Lighting. If you see or hear something suspicious, please call 911 immediately."

Security was noticeably enhanced at the Georgia Dome, where the Falcons lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

Fan Duane Sammons said it took longer than usual to get inside the Dome on Sunday as security personnel “waved every person with the (metal detecting) wands, front and back.”

“You heard people talking about it at the tailgate,” said Sammons, a Cumming resident. “There was a slight buzz I would say, but just whispers.”

The bigger test will be tonight’s WWE Survivor Series festivities, rumored to be targeted by the Islamic State along with events in Paris, Rome, Indonesia, Italy and Lebanon. The revelation came Saturday from by a group believed to be a subset of the hacking group Anonymous, which said they uncovered the threats from social media accounts affiliated with ISIS.

“There will be big events worldwide on the 22nd, go at your own risk,” the post said.

An FBI spokesman said the agency is taking the threat seriously but added it found no “specific or credible information of an attack at this time.”

The WWE said the 8 p.m. event will go on as scheduled, and Philips Arena officials said gates will open at 6 p.m. to accommodate “significantly increased security measures.” No bags of any kind will be permitted inside.

Sammons, who is also attending the WWE event, said he was “not worried at all” about the threat but added “it’s in the back of a lot of people’s minds.”

The mayor, in his statement, urged residents and visitors to “not let fear guide you.”

“Public safety remains my number one priority, and I am confident in our law enforcement agencies’ ability to keep us safe,” he said.