TSA continues to see uptick in gun seizures
Washington DC April 15 2021 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported several guns being stopped at U.S. airports by TSA officers over the last week as air travel experiences a spring uptick.
TSA officers caught a Fairfield County, Connecticut, man with a 9mm handgun loaded with 13 bullets in his carry-on bag at Newark-Liberty International Airport on April 6. The find came six days after officers detected another gun at the checkpoint. On April 6, TSA officials spotted the handgun in the man’s carry-on bag as it entered the checkpoint X-ray unit in Newark’s Terminal C. Port Authority Police were alerted, confiscated the weapon and arrested the man on weapons charges. The man also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a security checkpoint.
At Billings Logan International Airport, TSA officers have discovered three firearms in the past three weeks in the carry-on luggage of departing passengers. Each of the firearms was discovered during the routine screening of carry-on property at the airport security checkpoint. The most recent firearm find occurred on April 6 when TSA officers found a 9 mm Glock G19 semi-automatic pistol loaded with 15 rounds plus one in the chamber in the carry-on luggage of a person ticketed for travel to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. TSA notified the Billings Logan Airport Police. They interviewed the passenger and allowed him to continue on his flight.
On March 19, Billings Logan TSA officers discovered a .40 caliber Glock 23 handgun loaded with 13 rounds in the carry-on bag of a passenger headed to Denver International Airport. A week later on March 26, TSA officers stopped a 9mm Sig Sauer P290 compact pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition in the carry-on property of a traveler flying to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. There is no evidence that the three incidents are linked. Last year, TSA officers at Billings Logan stopped six guns at the checkpoint, and in 2019 they stopped seven.
On April 7, TSA officers at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport discovered a firearm in the carry-on luggage of a departing passenger. This firearm find occurred on a day when the number of travelers departing Hawaii airports continued to rise and TSA advises arriving at the airport at least two hours prior to flight departure. About 1 p.m. during the routine screening of carry-on property at the airport’s security checkpoint, a TSA officer saw the image of a firearm on the X-ray screen. TSA immediately notified the Hawaii State Sheriff, which responded to the security checkpoint. A .22 caliber Derringer was discovered in the carry-on luggage of a person ticketed for travel to San Francisco International Airport. The individual was arrested on a state charge.
“Airport security checkpoints in Honolulu and across Hawaii are seeing significant increases in the number of departing travelers. Despite these increases, TSA continues to focused on its core security mission to keep travelers safe and secure,” said TSA Federal Security Director for Hawaii Jenel Chang. “We are asking every traveler to take a few minutes and come prepared for a quick and efficient screening experience at the airport checkpoint.”
The same day, TSA officers stopped a man from carrying a loaded firearm onto his flight at Burlington International Airport. It was the first firearm detected at the airport this year. During security screening, a TSA officer detected the .380 caliber firearm with a chambered round, along with seven rounds in the passenger’s carry-on bag. The Vermont resident stated he forgot to remove the firearm from the bag before packing for his trip. Burlington Police responded and he was eventually denied entry to his flight.
“Arriving to a security checkpoint with a loaded firearm is not only dangerous and against the law; but, also an inconvenience to other passengers because the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident,” said Bruce McDonald, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Vermont.
TSA officers at Hollywood Burbank Airport have discovered two firearms this year in the carry-on luggage of departing passengers. Each of the firearms was discovered during the routine screening of carry-on property at the airport security checkpoint. The most recent firearm find occurred on April 8 around 6:30 a.m. when a TSA officer saw the image of a firearm on the X-ray screen. TSA immediately notified the Hollywood Burbank Airport Police, which responded to the security checkpoint. A 9 mm Sig Sauer compact pistol loaded with eight rounds of ammunition was discovered in the carry-on luggage of a person ticketed for travel to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). The individual was cited on a local charge, the weapon was confiscated and the traveler was permitted to continue on his flight.
Also on April 8, TSA officers at Norfolk International Airport prevented a Virginia Beach man from getting through the airport security checkpoint with a handgun loaded with 15 bullets. It was the second gun caught by TSA officers at the airport in a week after a New Jersey man was caught with a handgun on April 5.
When the TSA officer detected the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine on April 8, the Norfolk Airport Authority Police were alerted, responded to the checkpoint and confiscated the weapon. Police cited him on weapons charges and the case was forwarded to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney for possible criminal prosecution. The man also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty for carrying a gun to a TSA checkpoint. The catch was the sixth at the airport this year. Last year, TSA officers at Norfolk International stopped twelve guns.
And on April 9, TSA officers caught a local woman with a .380 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber, in her carry-on bag at Huntington Tri-State Airport. TSA officials spotted the handgun in the woman’s carry-on bag as it entered the checkpoint X-ray unit. Local police were alerted, confiscated the weapon and cited the Huntington, West Virginia, resident on weapons charges. In addition to the criminal citation, she also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a security checkpoint.
The same day, TSA officers stopped a Missouri man from carrying a loaded pistol onto his flight at Dane County Regional Airport, which was the second firearm detected at the airport in one week. A TSA officer detected a 9mm pistol with a bullet chambered along with three magazines each containing seven rounds and ten 12-gauge shotgun shells in the passenger’s carry-on bag. TSA immediately alerted the Dane County Sheriff’s Department who took possession of the firearm and arrested the Missouri resident.
The week ended with TSA officers preventing a Polk County, Iowa, resident from bringing his .45 caliber handgun loaded with five bullets onto a flight at Des Moines International Airport on April 11. TSA officials spotted the handgun in the man’s carry-on bag and immediately alerted the Des Moines Police, who responded to the checkpoint, and confiscated the firearm from the traveler before citing him on a local weapons charge.
“Let me say it very simply. Do not bring your gun to an airport security checkpoint,” said John Bright, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Iowa. “Even if you have a concealed carry permit, you are not permitted to carry it onto an airplane. If you want to travel with it, you must pack it properly so that it can be transported as checked baggage. If you do bring your gun to our checkpoint, you will face a stiff federal civil penalty that could cost you thousands of dollars.”
Firearms can be transported on a commercial aircraft only if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case, declared to the airline and placed in checked baggage. Any type of replica firearm is prohibited in carry-on baggage and must be transported in checked luggage. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapons permit, firearms are never permitted in carry-on luggage.
