Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Philadelphia International Airport intercepted a handgun at one of the security checkpoints on Thursday, October 24. The 9mm handgun was not loaded, however it was packed with five accessible bullets in an adjacent gun magazine.
The firearm was intercepted when the checkpoint X-ray unit alerted a TSA officer of the gun inside the carry-on bag. Police responded to the checkpoint and confiscated the firearm from the man, a resident of Yardley, Pa.
“When someone brings a loaded gun to one of our checkpoints, it is a risk to everyone in the airport,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Firearms represent a threat because the intention of the traveler is unknown. If you own a firearm, do not bring it to a checkpoint. If you must travel with your gun, 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.”
“Passengers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags,” he added. “This individual can expect that TSA will issue him a very costly Federal civil penalty for his careless actions. That’s an expensive lesson to learn. Hopefully other owners of firearms will learn from his mistake.”