This loaded handgun was detected by TSA officers at Yeager Airport on July 28. (TSA photo)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County, West Virginia, woman was stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers at Yeager Airport on Sunday, July 28, when they detected a .380 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets in her carry-on bag.
The woman, a resident of Elkview, West Virginia, told officials that she forgot that she had her loaded gun with her.
TSA officials notified the Yeager Airport Police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the woman for questioning prior to citing her on weapons charges. The police cleared the woman to fly—without her gun.
This marked the fifth gun stopped by TSA at the checkpoint this year.
When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident. Guns at checkpoints can delay travelers from getting to their gates.
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 the individual is a TSA Pre✓® member, that person could even lose their 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 $4,000. 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.