ALLENTOWN, Pa.– An Allentown, Pennsylvania, man was arrested by Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority Police yesterday (July 23) after a Transportation Security Administration officer at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) spotted a loaded gun on the man.
The man was stopped at the checkpoint with the 9 mm handgun strapped on his waist. It was loaded with 12 bullets. The gun alarmed the TSA checkpoint scanning machine, alerting TSA officers to determine that there was a loaded gun on the man.
TSA officers immediately contacted the police, who responded, confiscated the gun and arrested the man on weapons charges. The man was not ticketed to fly. He had received a “gate pass” from the airline to enable him to escort his grandson to his gate to catch a flight.
When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident.
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with concealed carry permits are not allowed to bring guns past TSA checkpoints. In addition, TSA has the authority to access civil penalties of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online.