TSA officers at Pittsburgh International Airport prevent man from bringing loaded gun onto flight

PITTSBURGH – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport prevented Gibsonia, Pa., man from carrying his loaded gun onto a flight on Saturday, Nov. 25. The .380 caliber handgun was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber.  

The good catch by TSA officers brings the total number of guns caught at the airport’s checkpoints to 40 so far this year, five more than the previous record of 35 firearms caught in 2019.

“There is no excuse for bringing a gun to the checkpoint,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint. This was irresponsible on the part of this traveler during one of the busiest holiday travel periods of the year. Incidents such as this are dangerous, they disrupt our security screening operations and cause delays for other law-abiding travelers who just want to get on their flight to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period. This man now faces a Federal civil penalty that could cost him thousands of dollars.”

The TSA officers at Pittsburgh “are good at their jobs and are very vigilant when it comes to helping ensure that no illegal or prohibited items are carried onto a flight,” Keys-Turner added.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then 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.

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 weapon into a checkpoint can reach up to $15,000, depending on the specific weapon and the 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. This also applies to travelers who are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.  

The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. 

When a gun is detected in the checkpoint X-ray unit, the conveyor belt is stopped and the police are notified. Police remove the carry-on bag from the X-ray unit because TSA does not want its officers handling firearms. Police determine whether a traveler is arrested or issued a criminal citation. Meanwhile the remaining passengers in the checkpoint lane either wait for the issue to be resolved or they are shifted to another checkpoint lane, thus delaying dozens of passengers from getting to their gates.

TSA firearms catches at airport checkpoints at Pittsburgh International Airport, 2017 to 2023

Nationwide, TSA officers have prevented more than 6,000 guns from getting through security checkpoints so far this year. Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at checkpoints nationwide and the agency is on track to surpass the record-setting number of guns caught nationwide in 2022. Pittsburgh is part of that disturbing trend.

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

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).