Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers intercepted two firearms in the last four days. On April 15, a Franklin, Pa., man was caught with a gun and on Friday, April 12, an Ohio man was also caught with a firearm.
The Franklin, Pa., man was caught with a .380 handgun loaded with seven bullets. The Ohio man was caught with a .38 caliber pistol with five bullets.
The good catch by TSA officers on Thursday brings the total number of guns caught at the airport’s checkpoints to 11 so far this year.
In both instances, TSA officers halted the screening process and immediately notified the Allegheny County Police, who responded to the checkpoint and confiscated the firearms. TSA does not confiscate guns, law enforcement does.
“Firearms are not permitted to be carried through security checkpoints and onto planes, “said Karen Keys-Turner, Federal Security Director for the airport. “It does not matter if the firearm is loaded or unloaded. The strict regulation on ‘no firearms’ is for security and safety purposes. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times and they know not to bring them to an airport security checkpoint. I commend the TSA officers who intercepted these deadly weapons.”