This loaded handgun was spotted by TSA officers at Boston Logan International Airport in the carry-on bag of a North Carolina resident on Sunday. (TSA photo)
BOSTON – Transportation Security Administration officers caught a North Carolina man with a loaded handgun at a Boston Logan International Airport checkpoint on Sunday, June 9, marking seventh gun that TSA has stopped at the airport checkpoints so far this year.
The man was stopped with a .380 caliber handgun loaded with eight bullets. He told officials that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him.
TSA officers spotted the gun when the man’s belongings entered the X-ray machine. They contacted the Massachusetts State Police, who detained the man for questioning before issuing him a summons. He was permitted to fly—without his gun.
Firearms caught in 2017 | Firearms caught in 2018 | Firearms caught in 2019 (As of 6-9-19) | |
BOS | 14 | 21 | 7 |
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.
Nationwide last year, 4,239 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging about 11.6 firearms per day, approximately a 7% increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 3,957 detected in 2017. Eighty-six percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded and nearly 34% had a bullet in the chamber.
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with concealed firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes in their carry-on bags. If an individual is a TSA Pre✓® member, then that person could even lose TSA Pre✓® status. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,333 for weapons violations. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.