Florida man tries to board flight with loaded gun at Norfolk International Airport
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A Florida man attempted to board a flight at Norfolk International Airport on Friday before he was stopped by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
Once he entered the security checkpoint, the x-ray unit alerted on his carry-on bag. When TSA officers checked the bag, they found a handgun loaded with 13 bullets including one in the chamber.
The man now faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint. Those penalties can rise as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.
Additionally, the case will be forwarded to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney for possible criminal prosecution.
“It appears that this traveler had packed his firearm in a gun case, however, he needed just a few more important steps before he could travel with it,” explained Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “He needed to ensure the firearm was unloaded, then taken the locked gun case to his airline to declare he wanted to fly with it. At that point, the airline representative would ensure that the firearm could be transported as checked baggage Our TSA officers remain vigilant during this busy spring break travel season to help ensure everyone can travel safely.”
Passengers who wish to travel with firearms must ensure they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case, and then taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. More information on properly traveling with a firearm can be found here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
