MADISON, WI – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a woman from carrying a loaded pistol onto her flight at Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) on Friday, Apr. 2. This was the first firearm detected at MSN since 2019 when there were four detected that year.
On Friday around 7 a.m., a TSA officer detected a .380 pistol along with two magazines totaling 12 rounds in the passenger’s carry-on bag during security screening. TSA immediately alerted a Dane County Sheriff who took possession of the firearm. The Waunakee, Wisconsin, resident was then allowed to continue.
“When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident,” said Mark Lendvay, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Wisconsin. “I strongly urge any gun owner to ensure they know where their firearm is before traveling to the airport.”
A total of six firearms have been detected at TSA security checkpoints in Wisconsin this year.
If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges. TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. TSA may seek a penalty amount of up to $13,910 per violation, if there are aggravating factors. 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.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.
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.