(TSA Photo)
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 Monday, May 17.
On Monday afternoon around 5:30, a TSA officer detected the loaded firearm along with a magazine containing six rounds in the woman’s carry-on bag during security screening. TSA immediately alerted the Dane County Sheriff ‘s Office (DCSO). The responding deputy inspected the firearm and discovered the .380 caliber firearm had a bullet chambered. He then issued the Colorado woman a county citation and took possession of the firearm. The DCSO will hold the firearm until it is claimed by a family member. The woman was eventually allowed to board her flight to Denver.
“Airport security checkpoints at MSN and across Wisconsin are seeing significant increases in the number of departing travelers. Despite these increases, we continue to focus on our core security mission to keep travelers safe and secure,” said Mark Lendvay, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Wisconsin.
A total of 11 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.