Arkansas airport director shot by federal agents dies, affidavit alleges illegal firearm sales

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The executive director of Little Rock’s airport, who was injured earlier this week in a shootout with federal agents serving a search warrant at his home, died on Thursday.

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport said in a statement that Bryan Malinowski died at noon. He was 53.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said agents were trying to serve the warrant just after 6 a.m. Tuesday at Malinowski’s home in west Little Rock when someone inside fired gunshots at the agents, news outlets reported. The agents returned fire, striking the shooter, who was identified as Malinowski. An unidentified ATF agent was also shot but the wound was not life-threatening, officials said.

In a heavily redacted warrant affidavit released Thursday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Malinowski bought over 150 guns between May 2021 and February 2024 that he resold without a dealer’s license, KARK-TV reported.

About a half-dozen of those were found after being linked to a crime, and undercover federal agents bought three more from Malinowski at Arkansas gun shows, the affidavit said.

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Malinowski bought the guns through legal means and checked a box on the purchase form to say they were for himself, according to the document. He would then resell them in as little as 24 hours through gun