Loaded handgun stopped at Yeager Airport checkpoint

Woman said she forgot that she had her loaded gun with her
Local Press Release
Monday, April 20, 2020

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County, West Virginia, woman was stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers at Yeager Airport today (April 20), when they detected a .38 caliber revolver loaded with four bullets in her carry-on bag.

TSA officials notified the Yeager Airport Police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the woman for questioning prior to citing her on weapons charges. The woman, a resident of Tornado, West Virginia, told officials that she forgot that she had a loaded gun with her.

When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident. Guns at checkpoints can delay travelers from getting to their gates.

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement.

Nationwide last year, 4,432 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging about 12.1 firearms per day, approximately a 5% increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 4,239 detected in 2018. Eighty-seven percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded.

Guns caught by TSA at the Yeager Airport checkpoint 2016 to 2020

Year

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Guns caught at Yeager Airport checkpoint

10

6

6

7

3

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

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