TSA officers stop man in Pennsylvania airport from taking loaded gun onto flight

James Wesser
·2 min read
1

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WHTM) — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that TSA officers at a Pennsylvania airport prevented a man from carrying his loaded gun onto a flight.

The TSA stated that the incident occurred on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Pittsburgh International Airport. The .380 caliber handgun was loaded with seven bullets and one in the chamber. This brings the total number of guns caught at the airport’s checkpoints to 40 so far in 2023. This is five more than the previous record of 35 firearms caught in 2019, according to the TSA.

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“There is no excuse for bringing a gun to the checkpoint,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint. This was irresponsible on the part of this traveler during one of the busiest holiday travel periods of the year. Incidents such as this are dangerous, they disrupt our security screening operations and cause delays for other law-abiding travelers who just want to get on their flight to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period. This man now faces a Federal civil penalty that could cost him thousands of dollars.”

The TSA officers at Pittsburgh “are good at their jobs and are very vigilant when it comes to helping ensure that no illegal or prohibited items are carried onto a flight,” Keys-Turner added.

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Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty. This is because the TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. These penalties can reach up to $15,000. A full list of penalties can be found here

The TSA has stated they have prevented over 6,000 guns from getting through security checkpoints in the United States so far in 2023.

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