TSA officers at LaGuardia Airport detected this handgun in a traveler’s carry-on bag on Oct. 9. (TSA photo)
NEW YORK – A North Carolina resident was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented him from carrying his loaded handgun onto his flight at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday, Oct. 9. The 9mm handgun was loaded with 10 bullets.
A TSA officer spotted the handgun on the checkpoint X-ray machine’s monitor as the traveler’s belongings entered the X-ray unit. TSA immediately alerted the Port Authority Police, which responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the man for questioning before arresting him on a weapons charge. In addition to being arrested, the man also faces a stiff federal civil penalty for bringing a gun to an airport security checkpoint. The man told officials that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him.
“This individual told us that he forgot that he did not realize that his loaded gun was with him,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “That’s no excuse, and this man is now likely to receive a civil financial penalty that could possibly cost him thousands of dollars. Responsible gun owners know where their firearm is at all times.”
Guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline. The airline will be sure that the gun travels with checked baggage in the belly of the plane, never in the cabin of the plane. Additionally, replica firearms also are prohibited in carry-on baggage and also must be transported in checked luggage. TSA has additional traveler information specifically related to the transportation of firearms and ammunition posted on its website.
TSA firearms catches at LaGuardia Airport checkpoints, 2017 to 2022
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 (As of 10/103/22) |
|
Guns caught at LaGuardia Airport checkpoints |
6 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
9 |
TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms at airport security checkpoints nationwide in 2021. Eighty-six percent of those guns were loaded.
Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. Among the factors TSA considers when determining the civil penalty amount include whether the firearm was loaded and whether there was accessible ammunition. Civil penalties apply 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.
Individuals who violate rules regarding traveling with guns will have Trusted Traveler status and TSA PreCheck® expedited screening benefits revoked for a period of time. TSA reminds passengers to always know the contents of their carry-on bag prior to coming to the security checkpoint. TSA has multiple resources available to passengers to help them determine whether an item is permitted in carry-on baggage, checked baggage, either or neither.
Travelers can use the “Can I Bring?” feature on the TSA website or on the free downloadable myTSA app. Travelers can also Tweet or Message “@AskTSA” if they have a travel question or are unsure if an item is allowed through security in a carry-on bag. Just snap a picture or send a question and get real-time assistance weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.