TSA officers stopped a man with this handgun at a LaGuardia Airport security checkpoint on July 9. (TSA photo)
NEW YORK – A man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at LaGuardia Airport intercepted a loaded firearm and ammunition among the traveler’s carry-on items during routine screening at one of the checkpoints on Tuesday, July 9. The .45 caliber handgun was loaded with five bullets, including one in the chamber. Two additional gun magazines, each loaded with seven bullets were packed alongside the firearm.
It was the sixth gun that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoints so far this year.
The weapons and ammunition were caught as the man, a resident of Mississippi, entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the items in his carry-on bag. TSA officials notified the Port Authority Police who confiscated the firearm, ammunition and gun magazines and arrested the man on a weapons charge.
In addition to the citation by airport police, this individual now faces a stiff financial civil penalty. Civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“Travelers need to pay more attention to the items that they have inside their carry-on bags,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags. In addition, responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and they know not to bring them to a security checkpoint. Bringing guns to checkpoints is a serious security violation and this individual can expect to receive a federal fine that will be in the thousands of dollars.”
Duffy went on to praise the TSA officers for their good catch. “This is the busiest period of travel that our agency has seen and I commend them for remaining vigilant and staying focused on the mission during this busy time,” he said.
TSA firearms catches at LaGuardia Airport checkpoints, 2018 to 2024
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
|
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) |
2 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
11 |
9 |
6 |
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 also 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. 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.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and individuals who want to travel with their gun 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).