TSA officers at Newark Liberty International Airport detected this handgun among a traveler’s carry-on items on March 28. (TSA photo)
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hopelawn, N.J., man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration officers intercepted the man’s 9mm handgun when he entered a security checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday, March 28.
When TSA officers detected the firearm, they contacted Port Authority Police who confiscated the gun and arrested the man.
“We have seen a lot of handguns showing up at our security checkpoints so far this year,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “This marked the seventh firearm that our officers have prevented from being carried onto a flight. At this rate, we will surpass last year’s record-setting number of guns intercepted at the checkpoints. We would prefer to see fewer travelers bringing guns to our checkpoints than set a new record. Let this serve as a reminder to others who own a firearm that you should never bring it to a security checkpoint.”
Firearms caught at Newark Liberty International Airport checkpoints, 2018 to 2025
| Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023
| 2024
| 2025 (As of 3-30-25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guns caught at Newark Liberty International Airport checkpoints |
14 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
20 |
21 |
7 |
“Travelers always need to know the contents of their carry-on bag prior to coming to the security checkpoint and know that there is nothing illegal or prohibited inside,” Carter added.
The federal penalty for bringing a weapon to a TSA checkpoint can cost as much as $15,000, depending on the circumstances. TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and firearm parts with them at a checkpoint. This applies to individuals 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. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. If a traveler with a firearm is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline. The airline will be sure that the gun travels with checked baggage in the belly of the plane, never in the cabin of the plane.
TSA has multiple resources available to help determine whether an item is permitted in carry-on baggage, checked baggage, either or neither. Travelers can use the “Can I Bring?” feature on the TSA website or on the free downloadable myTSA app. Travelers can also tweet to @AskTSA or send a text message (275-872) if they have a travel question or are unsure if an item is allowed through security in a carry-on bag. Just snap a picture or send a question and get real-time assistance.