A woman died early Thursday after suffering apparent self-inflicted stab wounds in a restroom at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Before she was found, a MARTA police detective had encountered her in the airport, where she appeared distressed and asked for an ambulance and a restroom.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death. FOX 5 Atlanta reported the agency's account that a MARTA police detective encountered the woman at about 5 a.m. Thursday and believed she appeared to be in distress: FOX 5 Atlanta.
What Investigators Have Confirmed
The detective offered the woman a ride or other help getting home, but she declined. She asked for an ambulance, and the detective requested an EMS response. She also asked to use a restroom and was taken to one nearby.
Detectives waited outside the restroom. After someone inside called for help, the detective went in and found the woman with multiple apparent self-inflicted stab wounds. She died at the scene, according to the account attributed to the GBI.
Cause And Manner Of Death Are Pending
The woman's body was taken to the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy. The official cause and manner of death have not been confirmed, and what led to her distress is unknown.
The Atlanta Police Department asked the GBI to conduct an independent review of the incident, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Authorities have not released the woman's identity.
Getting Help At The Airport
ATL311 advises people reporting an emergency at Atlanta Airport to call 911 and identify the airport if the call is routed to the Clayton County Police Department, so it can be rerouted to the Airport Communications Center. Hartsfield-Jackson's airport amenities page says chaplaincy services are available at multiple airport locations throughout the week; the Domestic Terminal Chapel prayer room and chapels on Concourses E and F are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Investigation Is Active; GBI Seeks Information
The GBI says the investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the agency's Atlanta Regional Investigative Office in Conyers at 770-388-5019, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
