Vintage replica gun discovered in carry-on bag at Washington airport, authorities say
No, you can’t take a vintage replica firearm on a plane with you, according to Transportation Security Administration regulations.
A traveler leaving Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Thursday brought a vintage gun to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage, TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said on Twitter.
“Replica firearms, including those that are toys, are treated like the real thing and should be transported in checked baggage only,” Dankers said.
A traveler departing @flySEA Thursday brought this vintage, replica firearm to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage. Replica firearms, including those that are toys, are treated like the real thing and should be transported in checked baggage only. https://t.co/3fkhAUTP1D pic.twitter.com/tJcN0I3nGn
— TSAmedia_Lorie (@TSAmedia_Lorie) June 5, 2020
Toys and replica guns have to be transported in checked baggage only, according to TSA.
Last week, TSA officers found two loaded firearms in carry-on luggage at the Seattle-Tacoma airport.
“On (May 27), TSA officers discovered a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Airweight revolver in the carry-on luggage of male traveler ticketed for travel to Boise Airport,” TSA said in a news release. “Around 2:15 p.m., a TSA officer spotted the image of a handgun on the x-ray screen. TSA immediately notified the Port of Seattle Police, which responded to the security checkpoint. The passenger was cited on a state charge and allowed to continue on to his flight.”
Another firearm was found May 26 in a bag of a man who was escorting his grandchild to the gate, TSA said.
At the time, there were 17 firearms discovered at the Sea-Tac airport in 2020, and more than 1,000 in airports nationwide, according to TSA.
“TSA will review the circumstances of the incident and levy a civil penalty against each passenger,” TSA said. “The recommended civil penalty for a firearm starts at $2,000 and can go up to the statutory maximum of more than $10,000 per violation.”