TSA officers detected this handgun in the carry-on bag of a traveler ticketed to fly out of Boston Logan International Airport on March 24. (TSA photo)
BOSTON – Transportation Security Administration officers remain vigilant in their duties during this pandemic, and on Tuesday at Boston Logan International Airport, a TSA officer prevented a man from bringing a 9 mm caliber handgun loaded with five bullets onto an airplane.
The TSA officer stopped the man when the loaded gun was spotted as his belongings entered the checkpoint X-ray machine. TSA officials contacted the Massachusetts State Police, who confiscated the handgun and detained the man for questioning prior to citing him on a state weapons charge.
The man, a resident of Alabama, told officials he did not know he had a loaded gun with him and speculated that one of his co-workers placed it in his carry-on bag before he headed to the airport for his flight.
Even travelers with concealed firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes in their carry-on bags. 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.
Guns caught at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) checkpoints from 2017 to 2020
Airport | Firearms caught in 2017 | Firearms caught in 2018 | Firearms caught in 2019 | Firearms caught in 2020 (as of 3-25-20) |
BOS | 14 | 21 | 18 | 4 |
Nationwide last year, 4,432 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging about 12.1 firearms per day, approximately a 5% increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 4,239 detected in 2018. Eighty-seven percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded.
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. 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 $4,100. 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.