Arkansas airport executive director, ATF agent wounded in Little Rock home shootout

Federal agents were involved in a shootout early Tuesday as they tried to serve a search warrant at the Little Rock home of the person who leads the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, authorities said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said agents were trying to serve the warrant just after 6 a.m. at a home in west Little Rock when someone inside the home fired gunshots at the agents. The agents returned fire, striking the shooter, who was identified as Bryan Malinowski, 53, the executive director for the airport.

Malinowski was treated at the scene before being taken to an area hospital, Arkansas State Police said. His condition was not immediately available later Tuesday.

An ATF agent, whose identity was not released, was also shot in the exchange of gunfire but suffered a non-life-threatening wound, officials said. The agent, too, was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Neither the ATF, state police nor federal prosecutors would provide details of what agents were looking for, citing an ongoing investigation.

Around 2:35 p.m., Little Rock firefighters carrying a power saw and a Halligan tool —a large pry bar— were seen walking toward the house. An ATF agent was overheard saying they were at the scene to help agents open a safe in Malinowski's house, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

According to his biography on the airport's website, Malinowski has worked in the airline industry for more than 30 years, serving in operational leadership roles at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, El Paso International Airport in Texas and Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania.

Malinowski joined the management team at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in 2008 as director of properties, planning and development before being promoted to deputy director of the airport a year later. He took over as executive director in 2019.

In:
• Little Rock
• Arkansas