Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have caught two guns in two days at Pittsburgh International Airport. On July 27, officers prevented a Moon Township, Pennsylvania, man from carrying a .380 caliber handgun loaded with eight bullets onto his flight. One day prior, they stopped an Ohio woman from carrying a 9mm handgun loaded with seven bullets onto her flight. Both firearms were spotted using the checkpoint X-ray machine and both travelers told TSA that they forgot that they had a gun in their bag.
Also on July 26, TSA officers stopped an Alleghany County, Virginia, man from carrying a 9mm handgun onto an airplane at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. The handgun was loaded with 16 bullets, including one in the chamber. TSA officers detected the gun in the man’s carry-on bag and immediately alerted the airport police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the weapon and arrested the man.
On July 27, TSA officers prevented a local woman from carrying a 9mm handgun loaded with nine bullets, including one in the chamber, onto her flight at Philadelphia International Airport. When TSA officers spotted the gun in the security checkpoint X-ray machine, they alerted Philadelphia Police, who confiscated the weapon and cited the woman on weapons charges. It was the 18th firearm stopped at the checkpoint this year. In 2019, before travel numbers were impacted by the pandemic, TSA officers at Philadelphia International stopped 20 guns.
The same day, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented a handgun from making its way onboard an airplane at Des Moines International Airport – the second catch at the airport in less than a week. During the routine screening of carry-on luggage, a TSA officer spotted the image of a handgun on the X-ray screen. Officials immediately alerted the Des Moines Police Department. The firearm, a 9mm pistol, was loaded with one bullet chambered. Additionally, a magazine with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition was found in a separate part of the bag. The passenger, a resident of Surprise, Arizona, received a citation.
On July 29, TSA officers detected a .380 caliber handgun loaded with four bullets in a passenger’s carry-on bag at the Lehigh Valley International Airport checkpoint. TSA officers spotted the loaded red and black colored gun in the man’s carry-on bag and alerted the airport authority police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and cited the man, a resident of Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
Also on July 29, Norfolk International Airport’s TSA officers caught a Portsmouth, Virginia, man with a .40 caliber handgun loaded with 15 bullets including one in the chamber. When the TSA officer detected the gun, the Norfolk Airport Authority Police were alerted, confiscated the weapon and arrested the man on weapons charges. The case was forwarded to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney for possible criminal prosecution. The man also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty.
Norfolk International’s TSA team also caught a Virginia Beach man with a .22 caliber handgun loaded with five rounds at one of the airport security checkpoints on July 31. It was the 11th gun stopped at the checkpoint during the first seven months of the year, just one shy of the 12 guns caught during 2020.
Also at the weekend, TSA officers at Washington Dulles International Airport prevented a Manassas, Virginia, woman from bringing a 9mm handgun onto her flight on Saturday, July 31. TSA alerted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police who confiscated the gun and cited the woman on weapons charges. The woman told officials that the gun was in her husband’s bag and that she did not know the gun was inside. In addition to the criminal citation issued by police, she now faces a stiff federal financial penalty for bringing a gun to an airport security checkpoint.
TSA reminds travelers that passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane. Guns are absolutely not permitted to be carried onto planes. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and travelers should check into firearm laws before they decide to travel with their guns. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
