Transportation Security Officers at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) detected this weapon in a passenger's carry-on bag on June 4. (TSA photo)
Harrisburg, Pa.— A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) stopped a local Pennsylvania resident with a loaded .380 caliber handgun in her carry-on bag at the airport security checkpoint on Sunday, June 4.
“Firearms and any other prohibited items such as weapons cannot go through airport security checkpoints,” said TSA Deputy Federal Security Director Don Weston.
“As the summer travel volume continues to rise, these types of incidents present a danger to our dedicated workforce, and the surrounding public. We encourage all travelers to know the exact location of their firearm at all times and to pack their luggage starting with a completely empty bag to ensure there are no prohibited items enclosed.”
TSA officers discovered the firearm during security screening and the local police were alerted. Police discovered the firearm was loaded with a chambered round.
Recently, another Pennsylvania woman was stopped by TSA officers at the Harrisburg International Airport on May 23 when they detected a loaded 9mm handgun in the woman’s carry-on bag.
This was the 5th gun that TSA officers have caught at MDT airport security checkpoints this year. All five firearms were loaded.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty of up to $15,000 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 for up to five years.
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. 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.
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