PHILADELPHIA – A Wilmington, Del., man was arrested by police yesterday (Jan. 29) at Philadelphia International Airport after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers detected a gun in the man’s carry-on bag at one of the airport security checkpoints. The good catch by TSA officers came on the heels of their catching two guns on the previous day.
When TSA officers detected the 9mm handgun, the man admitted that he did not have a state permit to carry the weapon and he said that the gun did not belong to him, rather the firearm belonged to his wife.
In addition to being charged with criminal offenses by the police, the man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.
Monday’s gun catch marked the fourth gun detected by TSA officers at Philadelphia this month.
“Travelers should know better and should pack their own bags to ensure that they know the contents and to ensure that there is nothing prohibited among their belongings,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport.
Last year at Philadelphia International Airport TSA officers prevented 45 guns from being carried past security checkpoints. It was the most guns caught at any airport in Pennsylvania in 2023
Firearms caught at TSA checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport, 2017 to 2024
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) |
35 |
25 |
20 |
26 |
39 |
44 |
45 |
4 |
TSA has details on how to travel with a firearm and ammunition posted on its web site. 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.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to individuals 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 individuals with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried through a checkpoint. 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.
During 2023, TSA officers intercepted a total of 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints, preventing them from getting into the secure areas of the airport and onboard aircraft. Approximately 93% of those firearms were loaded. This total surpassed the previous year’s record of 6,542 firearms stopped at checkpoints and represented the highest one-year total in TSA’s history.
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).