Man cited by police after TSA catches him with loaded gun at a security checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport

PHILADELPHIA – A Montana man was cited by police today (June 16) after Transportation Security Administration officers detected a loaded 9mm handgun among his carry-on items at a security checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport. The gun was loaded with 13 bullets, including one in the chamber. An additional loaded gun magazine was also in the carry-on bag.

It was the 16th gun that officers have caught at one of the airport checkpoints so far this year.

When the TSA officers spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine, the Philadelphia Police were alerted, confiscated the gun and detained the man for questioning before citing him. TSA forwarded the incident to be followed up with the issuance of a federal financial civil penalty.

“Bringing a deadly weapon such as a loaded handgun to a security checkpoint is a very serious offense,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Philadelphia International Airport. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their bags.”

TSA reserves the right to issue a stiff civil penalty to individuals who bring weapons with them to a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating or aggravating circumstances. 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 into an airport or onto an airplane. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

Travelers are allowed to transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane with checked baggage. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and travelers should check into firearm laws before they decide to travel with their guns. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

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 firearms caught at PHL Airport checkpoints, 2017 to 2022

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2022, about 86 percent were loaded.