This loaded handgun inside a man’s carry-on bag was detected by TSA officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport on March 9. (TSA photo)
NEW YORK – A Montgomery County, Pa., man was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport yesterday (March 9) after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers detected a loaded .38 caliber revolver in the man’s backpack.
The gun was caught as the man, a resident of Evansburg, Pa., entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the carry-on bag, which required a closer inspection. The firearm was removed by the Port Authority Police who confiscated the gun and arrested him on weapons charges. The man claimed that he did not know that the gun was in his bag.
In addition to being arrested, he now faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint. The penalty for carrying weapons recently increased to a maximum of $15,000.
“Guns are not permitted through any airport security checkpoint,” said John Essig, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Our officers are well-trained and vigilant. Hopefully this arrest will be a strong reminder to others not to bring their guns to our checkpoints here at JFK or at any airport. Traveling with a loaded gun that you don’t even know you are carrying is a public safety concern, considering that the bag could be misplaced or the firearm could accidentally be discharged during a bag search. We are happy to make sure that firearms travel with their owners as long as the guns are unloaded and packed properly.”
This was the second firearm that TSA has detected at the airport so far this year. Last year, TSA officers prevented seven firearms from getting through checkpoints at JFK Airport. All of them were loaded. Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. Eighty-eight percent of those guns were loaded.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded then packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and gun owners have a duty to ensure they are not violating any local firearm laws. Additionally, contacting the respective airline could reveal any additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).