Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport intercepted a loaded gun at the main security checkpoint on Friday, July 12. TSA officers detected the weapon inside a Pittsburgh woman’s carry-on bag. The 9mm firearm was loaded with 10 bullets.
When TSA officers detected the gun, the checkpoint lane came to a halt until the police responded and removed the carry-on bag from the X-ray machine. Other travelers who were in line were forced to wait until the incident was cleared, delaying them from getting through the checkpoint and to their gate during the peak travel time of the day.
“Travelers need to pay more attention to the items that they have inside their carry-on bags,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags. In addition, responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and they know not to bring them to a security checkpoint. Bringing guns to checkpoints is a serious security violation. This traveler can expect that TSA will issue her a costly Federal civil penalty.”
Keys-Turner praised the TSA officers for their good catch. “Early morning is the busiest period of travel that we see here at Pittsburgh and when someone brings an illegal or prohibited item to the checkpoint, it slows down all of the other travelers. I commend our officers for remaining vigilant and staying focused on the mission during this very busy time.”