Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Philadelphia International Airport prevented a Media, Pa., man from bringing his gun onto his flight on Monday, March 31. The 9mm handgun was loaded with 14 bullets.
TSA officials contacted Philadelphia Police who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the weapon and cited the man.
In addition to being cited by police, the traveler also faces a stiff Federal financial penalty that is likely to run into the thousands of dollars.
“It is disappointing to continue to see travelers bring their firearms to our checkpoints,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Loaded guns represent a threat because the intention of the traveler is unknown. If you own a firearm, please do not bring it to a checkpoint. If you must travel with your gun, there’s a way to do so. The proper way to do it is to make sure it’s unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case and taken to the airline check-in counter. The airline will ensure it is transported in the belly of the aircraft so that nobody has access to it during a flight.”
The original announcement can be found here.