When TSA officers detected the firearm, the checkpoint lane came to a halt until the police responded and removed the carry-on bag from the X-ray machine. Police confiscated the firearm, which belonged to a man from Indiana, Pa. Meanwhile, 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.
“This individual claimed that he had no idea how the firearm got into his bag,” said Donald Weston, TSA’s Acting Federal Security Director. “What that tells us is that this individual is careless with how he handles his firearm. Loaded guns are deadly weapons and if you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times. That’s part of being a responsible gun owner. One of the main reasons we are here at a checkpoint is to help ensure that weapons are not carried onto flights. So don’t come to the airport expecting to carry your gun through the checkpoint. If you must travel with your firearm, 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.”
The original announcement can be found here.