TSA officers detected this handgun in a man’s carry-on bag at Erie International Airport on Sept. 17. (TSA photo)
ERIE, Pa. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Erie International Airport (ERI) detected a .380 caliber handgun in a carry-on bag of an Erie County, Pennsylvania, man earlier today, Sept. 17. It was not loaded.
The handgun was spotted by a TSA officer in the checkpoint X-ray machine. TSA alerted the airport police, who arrived at the checkpoint and confiscated the gun before arresting the man, a resident of Girard, Pennsylvania, on weapons charges.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck™, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck™ privileges.
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 at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.
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.