West Virginia Airport Sets Record for the Most Passengers Caught With Guns in a Year

Stacey Ritzen
·2 min read
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By now, most of us are aware of the basic rules of what can and can't be taken through airport security, such as liquids over 3.4 ounces, flammables, and sharp objects. So you'd think it would be obvious to most people that you can't bring a gun on a flight, but passengers at a West Virginia airport have set a record to the contrary.

Last Wednesday, July 5, Transportation Security Administration officers at West Virginia International Yeager Airport stopped a man carrying a 9mm handgun through the security checkpoint, after it was spotted on the X-ray machine. Though the gun was not loaded, it was packed with two magazines containing 11 bullets.

The incident marked the eighth time this year a passenger has been caught with a firearm going through TSA security at the Charleston airport, breaking the record of seven times in 2019. And yet, somehow it's only July.

“This is not the type of record we want to set," TSA’s Federal Security Director for West Virginia, John C. Allen, told WSAZ News Channel 3. "We would much rather that travelers not bring their firearms to our checkpoints."

Well, that goes without saying.

"It’s a busy summer and is no time to be bringing guns and other prohibited items in your carry-on bags because doing so slows down our checkpoints," Allen continued. "When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident."

Allen added that "responsible gun owners know where their firearms are and they know that they are not permitted to be carried onto a flight.”

As a result, the passenger, from Red House, WV, had his handgun confiscated by authorities and was cited on a weapons charge by police. He's also facing a potentially harsh federal financial civil penalty with a fine up to $15,000.

While it's illegal to transport firearms through carry-on luggage, passengers are permitted to transport guns and ammunition in checked baggage by following strict protocols. The firearm must be unloaded and placed in a securely locked, hard-sided container, and declared to the airline when checking your bag at the ticket counter.