U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Media
  3. Media Room
  4. Press Releases
  5. Loaded handgun stopped by TSA at Huntington Tri-State Airport checkpoint

Loaded handgun stopped by TSA at Huntington Tri-State Airport checkpoint

Local Press Release
Monday, August 17, 2020
This loaded handgun was detected by TSA officers at Huntington Tri-State Airport on Aug. 15. (TSA photo)

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Lincoln County, West Virginia, woman was stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers at Huntington Tri-State Airport on Saturday, Aug. 15, when they detected a .22 caliber handgun in her carry-on bag. It was loaded with four bullets.

TSA officials notified the local police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the woman, a resident of Branchland, West Virginia, 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.

“During this pandemic, we are doing what we can to reduce touch-points to help prevent any cross-contamination, but when someone has a gun in their carry-on bag, it means that you will have to stay at the checkpoint longer, and a police officer is going to have to open that bag and go inside to remove it, thus creating additional touch-points and increasing the possibility of cross-contamination,” said John Allen, TSA’s Federal Security Director for West Virginia. “Now more than ever, this is the time to take extra care not to have any weapons in your carry-on bag before you head to the airport. Check your purse, knapsack, messenger bag, laptop bag, duffle bag or whatever else you plan to carry on a plane to ensure there are no prohibited items inside.”

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

2

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.

###