CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – On Monday, April 30, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discovered a loaded firearm in a carry-on bag at the security screening checkpoint at the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID).
TSA found the firearm, loaded with seven rounds, in a passenger’s carry-on bag during X-ray screening at the checkpoint. TSA alerted local law enforcement. The Eastern Iowa Public Safety Police took possession of the weapon and interviewed the passenger, who was cited on a local charge and then allowed to continue.
“Passengers cannot bring firearms to TSA security checkpoints,” said TSA Iowa Federal Security Director David Dailey. “A firearm can only be transported in a checked bag. The passenger must properly pack it in a locked, hard-sided case and declare it to the airline at the ticket counter.” Firearm parts, ammunition, and realistic replicas also are not allowed through security checkpoints, but can travel in checked bags.
In 2017, TSA officers found a record-setting 3,957 firearms at security screening checkpoints around the country. That’s an average of almost 11 per day and a 17 percent increase over 2016.
TSA has the authority to levy a civil penalty of up to $13,000 against a passenger who brings a firearm to the checkpoint. The average penalty for a loaded firearm is about $4,000. Any determination about a criminal charge is up to law enforcement. For more information, visit the prohibited items and firearms and ammunition pages at tsa.gov.