This loaded handgun was detected by TSA officers at Huntington Tri-State Airport on June 13. (TSA photo)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Jackson County, W. Va., woman was stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers at Huntington Tri-State Airport on Saturday, June 13, when they detected a 9 mm handgun in her carry-on bag. It was not loaded.
TSA officials notified the local police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the woman, a resident of Cottageville, W.Va., for questioning prior to citing her on weapons charges.
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.
“There may be a pandemic, but our TSA officers remain vigilant in their duties,” said John Allen, TSA’s Federal Security Director for West Virginia. “During this pandemic, we are doing what we can to reduce touch-points to help prevent any cross-contamination, but when someone has a prohibited item in their carry-on bag, it means that our TSA officers are going to have to open that bag and go inside to remove it, thus creating additional touch-points. This is the time to take extra care not to have anything prohibited in your carry-on bag before you leave your house to come to the airport.”
Guns caught by TSA at the Huntington Tri-State Airport checkpoint 2016 to 2020
|
Year |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Guns caught checkpoint |
3 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
1 |
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.
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.
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.