This handgun was detected by TSA officers in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) on Jan. 31. (TSA photo)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented a passenger from bringing a handgun onboard an airplane at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) Wednesday.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m., when the passenger presented their bag for screening and officers detected the image of a firearm on the X-ray. TSA officials immediately alerted the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Police. Officers responded to the checkpoint and took possession of the bag, which also contained a seven-round magazine.
This is the fourth firearm detected at GRR this year. Other incidents occurred Jan. 1, Jan. 4, and Jan. 24. A total of 19 firearms were detected at GRR security checkpoints last year.
“In addition to the serious safety risk these incidents pose, they also slow down the screening process for all passengers when we’re forced to temporarily close down a lane,” Michigan TSA Federal Security Director Reginald Stephens said. “We encourage travelers to pack their luggage starting with a completely empty bag to ensure no prohibited items are accidentally brought to the checkpoint.”
Nationally, more than 6,700 firearms were stopped at airport checkpoints in 2023.
In addition to any action taken by law enforcement, TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint with a civil penalty up to approximately $15,000, revokes TSA PreCheck® eligibility for at least five years and may conduct enhanced screening to ensure there are no other threats present.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hard-sided case and declared at the airline check-in counter. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.