TSA officers detected this handgun in the carry-on bag of a traveler ticketed to fly out of Boston Logan International Airport on April 19. (TSA photo)
BOSTON – Transportation Security Administration officers remain vigilant in their duties during this pandemic, and on Sunday at Boston Logan International Airport, a TSA officer prevented a woman from bringing a .22 caliber handgun along with four loose bullets onto an airplane.
The TSA officer stopped the woman, a resident of Florida, when the gun was spotted as her belongings entered the checkpoint X-ray machine. TSA officials contacted the Massachusetts State Police, who confiscated the handgun and detained the woman for questioning prior to citing her on a state weapons charge.
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.
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.
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 4-19-20) |
|
BOS |
14 |
21 |
18 |
5 |
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 for weapons violations. 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.
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