This loaded handgun inside a traveler’s carry-on bag was detected by TSA officers at Harrisburg International Airport on Dec. 22. (TSA photo)
HARRISBURG, Pa. – A Florida man was stopped by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Harrisburg International Airport on Friday, Dec. 22, when they detected a handgun in the man’s carry-on bag at the airport checkpoint. The man was in possession of a .380 caliber gun loaded with seven bullets.
The gun was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA officer to take a closer look inside the man’s carry-on bag, which was opened by police for a closer inspection. The gun was found among the man’s carry-on items.
The traveler claimed that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him.
“Our TSA officers work during the holiday travel period so that others may travel to visit family and friends,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Their continued vigilance to ensure that people can get to their destinations safely is demonstrated daily and on the Friday before the Christmas holiday, which is one of the busiest travel days of the holiday travel period, was no exception when they prevented a traveler from bringing a loaded handgun onto a flight. It’s absolutely unforgivable to bring a firearm to a security checkpoint.
“This individual told us he forgot that he had a loaded gun with him. That’s irresponsible. Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint because they know the proper way to pack a firearm for a flight. This individual carelessly introduced an unnecessary risk into the airport environment and as a result he will face a stiff Federal financial penalty that will likely cost him thousands of dollars.”
Passengers are only 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.
It marked the eighth gun stopped at the security checkpoint so far this year. Nationwide TSA is on track to set a record for the most guns stopped at checkpoints in a single year. The current record is 6,542 guns, which were stopped last year.
TSA firearms caught at TSA checkpoints at Harrisburg International Airport, 2017 to 2023
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (As of 12/25/23) |
|
Guns caught at the Harrisburg International Airport checkpoint |
6 |
6 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
10 |
8 |
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).