This loaded handgun was detected in a Pittsburgh man’s carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday, Oct. 18. (TSA photo)
PITTSBURGH –Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport detected a fourth gun within a five-day span from Friday, Oct. 14, through Tuesday, Oct. 18.
“I don’t know why so many travelers are bringing their guns to the airport this week, but what I do know is that it needs to stop,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “People need to know that bringing your gun to the airport in a carry-on bag is an extremely expensive mistake. We are going to issue a federal financial civil penalty that can run into the thousands of dollars, and if you get arrested, you’re going to have to hire an attorney, which is also likely to run into the thousands of dollars. My advice to people who own firearms is to pack them properly to be transported in checked baggage or leave your gun at home.”
Tuesday’s gun was detected in the carry-on bag of a Pittsburgh, Pa., man who told officials that the 9mm gun that was loaded with eight bullets belonged to his brother. “That’s no excuse for carrying a loaded gun to a security checkpoint,” Keys-Turner stressed. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their baggage.”
When the gun was spotted, TSA officers notified the Allegheny County Police who confiscated the gun and arrested the man.
When a traveler brings a gun to the airport checkpoint, the U.S. States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania requests county sheriffs to rescind a resident’s firearm concealed carry license due to negligence.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty of up to $13,900 to individuals who bring weapons with them to a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating or aggravating 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. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Guns detected at Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoints, 2017 to 2022
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 (As of 10/18/22) |
|
Guns caught at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoints |
32 |
34 |
35 |
21 |
32 |
22 |
Travelers are allowed to transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane with checked baggage. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and travelers should check into firearm laws before they decide to travel with their guns. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
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 delay travelers from getting to their gates.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2021, about 86 percent were loaded.