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A mugshot of 44-year-old Atlanta woman Damaris Milton, arrested for allegedly stabbing three people, including a police lieutenant, inside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, has gone viral on the internet.
In the mugshot, Milton, who was seen contorting her face in an apparent attempt to make light of a grave situation, has led netizens to speculate about the suspect’s mental health. The image prompted one social media user to opine:
"That insanity plea finna go crazy."
Milton is accused of stabbing three individuals, including a police lieutenant outside the security checkpoint near the airport’s south terminal in an unprovoked attack.
Video shows Damaris Milton wielding a knife at police officers in Atlanta airport
According to multiple reports, on Wednesday evening, Damaris Milton first stabbed the taxi driver who dropped her off at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before police arrived at the scene after being alerted about the incident.
Shortly after, frightened travellers caught footage of a knife-wielding woman waving the weapon at approaching officers outside the security checkpoint near the airport’s south terminal.
Footage uploaded on X, formerly known as Twitter, by social media user Mitch Jergensen, showed police attempting to talk Milton into dropping the knife as she paced back and forth, threatening them with the knife.
According to WSBTV, Milton stabbed an airport clerk and an APD lieutenant in the leg while he was trying to take her into custody. Sgt. John Chafee with the Atlanta Police Department said that the officers at the scene tried to subdue the suspect with a taser. However, Milton managed to stab a female clerk and the police officer before she was tackled to the ground.
“Officers encountered her, began to talk her into dropping the knife, limited her movement, she moved into the south terminal and there she stabbed another female and then she stabbed an APD Lt. who was trying to take her into custody,” said Chafee.
Chafee revealed that all three victims were in stable condition after sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.
Netizens react as Damaris Milton mugshot goes viral
Authorities are reportedly exploring the circumstances that led up to the attack as the motive remained unclear. Chafee said that they were unable to establish a connection between the victims and the suspect, noting that Milton seemingly attacked people at random.
“It doesn’t appear that there’s a connection between her and them [victims], but that’s something we’ll be looking into.”
While authorities tried to uncover the motive for the attack, Damaris Milton's mugshot has led netizens to speculate on her mental stability. The mugshot where Milton was seen contorting her face into a silly look has triggered a volley of comments postulating about her mental health.
As police continued to investigate the case, Fox 5 reported there were no cancellations or delays at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport following the incident.
