TSA officers stopped a man with this handgun at a LaGuardia Airport security checkpoint on Oct. 12. (TSA photo)
NEW YORK – A Nassau County, N.Y., man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at LaGuardia Airport caught him with a handgun among his carry-on items at one of the airport security checkpoints on Thursday, Oct. 12. The 9mm caliber handgun was loaded with eight bullets.
It was the eighth gun that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoints so far this year.
The weapon was caught as the man, a resident of Westbury, N.Y., entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on his carry-on bag. TSA officials notified the Port Authority Police who confiscated the gun and arrested the man on a weapons charge. The man told officials that he forgot that he had his gun with him.
In addition to the citation by airport police, this individual now faces a stiff financial civil penalty. Civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“Bringing guns to checkpoints is a serious security violation and this individual can expect to receive a fine that will be in the thousands of dollars,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Individuals who bring their guns to our checkpoints create a potentially dangerous situation through their own actions. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are and they know not to bring them to a checkpoint. There is absolutely no excuse for bringing a loaded gun to a checkpoint because it is common knowledge that you cannot carry weapons onto a flight.”
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.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint also 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. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and individuals who want to travel with their gun 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).