OMAHA, Neb. – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discovered a loaded firearm in a carry-on bag at Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA) on Sunday, June 10 at 7:34 a.m. at the North Checkpoint.
TSA found the Glock 42, .380 Automatic, loaded with five rounds, in a passenger’s carry-on bag during X-ray screening at the checkpoint. Per standard procedure, TSA alerted local law enforcement. The Omaha Airport Authority police took possession of the weapon and interviewed the passenger, who was later allowed to continue to a flight.
This is the eighth firearm TSA has found at an OMA checkpoint so far this year. A total of nine firearms were found at OMA checkpoints in calendar year 2017.
“We have already found almost as many firearms at our Omaha checkpoints this year as we found in all of 2017,” said TSA Federal Security Director Michael Fowler. “So this is a good opportunity to remind passengers that you can’t bring a firearm to a checkpoint in a carry-on bag or on your person.”
Firearms can be transported in a checked bag that is declared to the airline at the ticket counter and properly packed in a locked, hard-sided container. Firearm parts, ammunition, and realistic replicas also are not allowed through security checkpoints, but can be transported in checked bags. Some airline policies for taking a firearm in a checked bag may differ from TSA’s, so we strongly suggest travelers contact their airline for specific firearm and ammunition policies and to check local laws related to the carrying and transport of firearms.
TSA found a record-breaking 3,957 firearms at airport security checkpoints around the country in 2017, 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; the average for an unloaded firearm is about half that amount. Any determination about a criminal charge is up to law enforcement. For more information, visit our prohibited items and firearms and ammunition pages.