Transportation Security Administration officers at Pittsburgh International Airport have stopped two guns in the last four days at security checkpoints, bringing the total caught this year to 19—well on pace to set a new record for the number of guns caught in a single year.
The most recent gun caught was early this morning (June 14) when a man from West Leechburg, Pa., in Westmoreland County, showed up with a 9 mm handgun loaded with 16 bullets including one in the chamber. Four days earlier, on June 10, an Atlanta man was arrested when a TSA officer removed a .357 revolver with 50 bullets from the man’s fanny pack. The gun was unloaded, however it was packed with two speed loaders with six bullets each and an additional loose 38 rounds of ammunition.
In each instance when the TSA officer spotted the guns in the checkpoint X-ray machines, airport police were alerted, came to the checkpoint and confiscated the weapons and ammunition. Each individual also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty. Federal penalties for bringing weapons to the checkpoint can run as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.
When a traveler brings a gun to the airport checkpoint, the U.S. States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania requests county sheriffs to rescind a resident’s firearm concealed carry license due to negligence.
“The proliferation of people bringing their guns to our checkpoints needs to end,” said TSA Federal Security Director Karen Keys-Turner. “Our officers have stopped four guns at our checkpoints in the first two weeks of this month—two in the last four days. Security is serious business and we don’t need people introducing guns into the airport environment, regardless of whether there is any intent to do harm. Toting a gun to an airport is an accident waiting to happen. When you factor in the fact that most travelers claim that they forgot that they had their gun with them, well that’s just inexcusable. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times and they know not to attempt to carry one onto a flight.”
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Firearms are not permitted through a security checkpoint because passengers should not have access to a firearm during a flight. This even applies to travelers with concealed carry permits or are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint. Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint also face a federal financial civil penalty.
Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. Eighty-eight percent of those guns were loaded.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
