A Pennsylvania man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport intercepted a loaded firearm among the man’s carry-on items on August 1. It was the seventh firearm that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoints so far this year. The 9mm gun was loaded with nine bullets, including one in the chamber.
The gun was caught as the man, a resident of Philadelphia, Pa., entered the security checkpoint in Terminal 4. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA officers that there was a gun in the man’s carry-on bag. TSA officials notified the Port Authority Police who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and arrested the man on a weapons charge. TSA does not confiscate guns, police do.
In addition to being arrested, this individual also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty. Civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“Bringing guns to checkpoints is a serious security violation and this individual can expect to receive a federal fine that will be in the thousands of dollars,” said John Essig, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “It has been one of the busiest summer travel periods we have experienced and bringing an illegal item like a loaded gun to the checkpoint introduces a security threat into the checkpoint. Additionally, it slows down the checkpoint line. Responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and they know not to bring them to a security checkpoint. I commend our officers for their continued vigilance during this very busy summer travel season.”