TSA officers at Pittsburgh International Airport detected this loaded handgun in a traveler’s carry-on bag on Oct. 7. (TSA photo)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport caught a passenger with a loaded gun at the security checkpoint on Saturday, Oct. 7, marking the fifth gun that was caught in the first seven days of the month.
Saturday’s gun catch also tied the record number of 35 guns that were caught in 2019 with 2 1/2 months remaining in 2023.
“It’s a constant battle to prevent travelers from bringing their guns to our checkpoints,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Our officers are vigilant and focused on our mission. This proliferation of passengers toting their firearms with their carry-on items needs to stop. There’s no excuse for bringing a gun to our checkpoints because you certainly can’t carry it onto your flight. Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint is a serious matter and those individuals doing so will pay for their mistake.”
On Saturday a Natronia Heights, Pa., man was stopped with a .38 caliber handgun loaded with seven bullets including one in the chamber.
“Bring a gun to our checkpoint and you will face a stiff federal financial civil penalty that could cost you thousands of dollars,” Keys-Turner added. “Make no mistake, there is a high cost for gun owners who think that they can stroll through a checkpoint and onto a plane with a gun.”
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Firearms are not permitted through a security checkpoint because passengers should not have access to a firearm during a flight. This even applies to travelers with concealed carry permits or are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating 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 onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.
TSA firearms catches at airport checkpoints at Pittsburgh International Airport, 2017 to 2023
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (as of 10/5/23) |
|
Pittsburgh International Airport |
32 |
34 |
35 |
21 |
32 |
26 |
35 |
Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at airport security checkpoints nationwide. During the first nine months of 2023, TSA officers detected more than 5,000 guns at checkpoints across the country and the agency is on track to surpass the record-setting number of guns caught in 2022.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).