Man arrested at Newark airport with gun in bag
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man at Newark Liberty Airport after screeners noticed a loaded gun in his carry-on bag.
The Transportation Security Administration says its screeners saw the 9-millimeter Ruger in the man's luggage as it passed through an X-ray machine Thursday night.
Port Authority police were contacted and arrested 41-year-old Matthew Clark Vanpelt of Mt. Dora, Fla., at the security checkpoint. He was ticketed on a flight to Detroit.
A Port Authority spokesman says Vanpelt has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and released on his own recognizance.
A TSA spokeswoman says the gun was loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition that included one bullet that was chambered.
Airline passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage. They must be stored properly and unloaded.
