(NewsNation) — Former acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen urged the public not to shoot down suspected drones in the sky and instead notify local law enforcement instead.
Federal agencies issued a joint statement Tuesday addressing the origin of recent mysterious drone sightings, assuring the public that there is no evidence to suggest the drones pose a threat to national security. The government also asked the public not to shoot down drones due to the risk of injury.
Nolen said the recent sightings over New Jersey skies have been accounted for and that the FAA is “keeping pace” with increased air traffic.
“Everything we see out there, somebody knows about it,” Nolen said during an appearance on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
Authorities “expect people to operate drones in accordance with FAA guidelines,” Nolen added.
Lawmakers are pushing back, however, saying what they have been told doesn’t fully explain what’s happening.
House lawmakers received a classified briefing on the subject Tuesday, and are expected to seek more information.
“I think they need to be a lot more candid about what’s going on. You hear reports [that] boats are pulling up and releasing large numbers of drones,” said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. “That’s not some kid in his garage, and it’s not an airplane or a star. So I hope they’re more candid.”
Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told NewsNation she thinks the statement from the White House is an incomplete analysis. Gillibrand said she is well aware of incursions over military bases from drones of unknown origin.
Joe Khalil, Elina Shirazi, Kellie Meyer contributed to this report.