Atlanta Airport Armed Suspect’s Friend Said He Reached Out Day Before Arrest

A friend of Billy Joe Cagle — the man arrested Monday at Atlanta’s major airport for allegedly threatening a mass shooting — is now talking to TMZ … revealing the red flags that pushed him to reach out the night before cops swooped in.

Nick Roberts joined us on “TMZ Live” Tuesday … telling us he hit up Billy on Sunday night after spotting some troubling Facebook posts … ones that, at first, looked more like warnings of self-harm than threats against others.

Nick said during that chat the 49-year-old seemed totally fine, giving off no sign he was plotting anything for the next day. Cops, though, were tipped off by Cagle’s family’s concerns … and thankfully, any potential tragedy was avoided.

You gotta catch the full clip … ’cause Nick turns the ordeal into a positive reminder — always check in on your friends, especially when their behavior feels off from the norm.

Nick highlights how Billy Joe has always been a caring, hardworking guy … but he describes Cagle as “just a desperate man reaching for help, I felt like” … underscoring the seriousness of mental health and how difficult in can be to process for yourself, and your loved ones.

Cagle was taken into custody Monday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — where cops say they found a semiautomatic weapon and 27 rounds of ammo in his truck, WXIA-TV reports. Atlanta’s mayor said Cagle was having “mental challenges” … Atlanta’s police chief said Cagle arrived at the airport just after 9 AM Monday after allegedly livestreaming he was going to “shoot it up.”