COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Metro Atlanta residents have questions after reporting drone activity over their neighborhoods. It follows a series of unexplained sightings in the Northeast.
Britain Lockhart filmed a video of the suspected sightings outside his Smyrna home late Friday into early Saturday morning. He described the mysterious devices he saw.
“The weirdest thing to me was how I knew they weren’t planes; they weren’t flying up super high in the sky. They were very low, and they were emitting light into the sky. It was strange,” he said.
Several 11Alive viewers sent videos saying they spotted drones at night in their neighborhoods this past weekend.
We contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the FBI Atlanta office, and local police departments about the discoveries. Each agency stated it wasn’t investigating reports of mysterious drones.
Lockhart wants to know exactly what he saw in his neighborhood and who operated the devices.
“That is the mystery behind all of this, and I believe people deserve an answer as to what these drones are because it affects everybody in their daily lives,” Lockhart said.
Georgia’s latest discoveries come as drone sightings disrupted operations at an Ohio military base and briefly closed the runway at Stewart International Airport in New York.
Homeland Security Director Alejandro Mayorkas said the recent detections could be traced to a Federal Aviation Administration policy — adopted last year — allowing drones to fly at night.
“I want to assure the American public that we are on it,” Mayorkas added.
The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and FAA say a large percentage of drone sightings in the Northeast are commercial, private and government air traffic devices mistaken for drones.
Homeowners and lawmakers are still skeptical. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) supports legislation to help local law enforcement detect and confirm drones.
“Right now, state and local law enforcement doesn’t have the ability or the legal authority to detect drones. It is only the federal agencies. But because there are so many of these drones in so many places, our local authorities want and need the help. This legislation will get them the help,” Schumer added.
DHS and the FBI released a joint statement saying the sightings in the northeast do not pose a public safety threat or have any foreign connections.