Texas Tech student goes viral after ‘guns up’ salute draws TSA attention
Houston TV Jan 16 2018
A Texas Tech student’s school spirit got her in a bit of trouble.
Diana Durkin, a 19-year-old from Houston, is a sophomore at Texas Tech with a lot of Red Raider pride. So much, in fact, that when she saw someone in the airport security line wearing a Tech sweatshirt, she made the “guns up” salute with her hand as a show of solidarity, she told the Houston Chronicle.
TSA agents at Houston’s Hobby Airport were not amused: Durkin said she was pulled out of the security line and asked to show her ID.
Texas Tech students, fans and alumni yell “guns up” and use the hand symbol to show school spirit during rallies and games.
“I’ve never dealt with a situation like that before,” she told the Chronicle. “I am so very fortunate it was not worse, though. They let me off with a warning, and I made my plane on time. I know that for others the situation could have been much more serious. I feel very fortunate. The TSA officers know I meant no harm; by the end of it I think they were kinda laughing too!”
Durkin had taken a semester off of school to help her family recover from the impact of Hurricane Harvey, and she is returning for the spring 2018 semester, the Chronicle reported.
In the end, Durkin was able to make it to her flight.
