TSA officers at Westchester County Airport intercepted this loaded gun at the airport checkpoint on Sunday, March 30. (TSA photo)
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – A Stanford, Ct., man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Westchester County Airport intercepted a handgun among the man’s carry-on items at the airport checkpoint on Sunday, March 30. The 9mm handgun was accompanied by a gun magazine that was loaded with 10 bullets. It was the first firearm that TSA officers have intercepted at the checkpoint this year.
When TSA officers detected the firearm, they contacted the Westchester County Police while the other passengers who were in the security lane were delayed until the incident was resolved. Police responded quickly, confiscated the gun and arrested the man.
“When someone shows up with a gun at our checkpoint, it inconveniences other travelers who are waiting to be screened,” explained John Essig, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “The traveler was arrested, and he’ll now face a stiff financial civil penalty, so he’s paying the price for his mistake. Hopefully this will serve as a reminder to other gun owners not to make this same mistake. You should never bring a gun to a security checkpoint. That’s not the proper way to transport a gun for a flight.”
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.