TSA detected this handgun inside a carry-on bag at JFK International Airport on Oct. 29. (TSA photo)
NEW YORK – A Philadelphia man was arrested by police at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Sunday, Oct. 29, after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers detected a loaded handgun in the man’s carry-on bag as he entered a security checkpoint. The 9mm handgun was loaded with 12 bullets and was packed alongside two additional gun magazines with 24 additional bullets.
TSA immediately notified Port Authority Police who confiscated the firearm and ammunition and arrested the Pennsylvania man on weapons charges.
In addition to his arrest, the man also faces a stiff federal financial penalty. Federal civil penalties can reach as high as $15,000 for bringing a weapon to an airport checkpoint, depending on the circumstances.
“There is no excuse for bringing a gun to our checkpoints,” said John Essig, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “The only way to fly with your firearm is to ensure it is unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case and taken to the airline check-in counter and declared. The airline will make sure it is transported in the belly of the aircraft so that nobody has access to it during a flight.”
“We are seeing heavy travel volume through our security checkpoints of nearly 100,000 passengers per day here at JFK International, and this is no time to be carrying prohibited or illegal items,” Essig said. “It’s busy out there and when someone brings a prohibited or illegal item such as a firearm to an airport security checkpoint, it slows things down for everyone else. Additionally, a loaded gun at an airport is an accident waiting to happen.”
It marked the ninth firearm that TSA officers have detected at the airport’s checkpoints so far this year, which ties the mark for the most firearms detected at the airport’s checkpoints in a single year with two months remaining in 2023.
Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at airport security checkpoints nationwide. So far this year TSA officers have stopped more than 5,000 guns at checkpoints across the country.
TSA firearms detected at JFK Airport checkpoints, 2018 to 2023
|
Year |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 As of 10/31/23 |
|
Guns caught at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) checkpoints |
2 |
8 |
2 |
9 |
8 |
9 |
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to individuals who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. This applies to people 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. If an individual with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
TSA reminds passengers and airport employees 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 to @AskTSA or send a text message (275-872) 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.