This loaded gun was caught by TSA officers at a Philadelphia International Airport checkpoint on Oct. 28. (TSA photo)
PHILADELPHIA – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Philadelphia International Airport prevented two men from carrying their guns onto their flights on Saturday, Oct. 28.
A Philadelphia man was caught by TSA officers with a 9mm gun in his gym bag. The gun was loaded with 21 bullets, including one in the chamber. He previously has been caught with his gun packed incorrectly at the airport and again faces stiff Federal financial civil penalties in addition to being cited by the Tinicum Township Police. Also on Saturday, a Montgomery County, Pa., man was caught with a .38 caliber handgun in his carry-on bag and the man, a resident of Souderton, Pa., also was cited by the Tinicum Police and will face a Federal financial civil penalty.
In each instance the guns were caught as the men entered a security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on their carry-on bags, which required a closer inspection. The firearms were confiscated by the police.
“There is no excuse for bringing a gun to our checkpoints,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “The only way to fly with your firearm is to ensure it is unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case and taken to the airline check-in counter and declared. The airline will make sure it is transported in the belly of the aircraft so that nobody has access to it during a flight. The fact that this is the second gun-related offense by one of the two individuals who was caught on Saturday is absolutely unacceptable. Getting caught one time is one thing, but not learning a lesson from that experience is just unforgivable."
| Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 (As of 10/29/23) |
| Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) | 35 | 25 | 20 | 26 | 39 | 44 | 40 |
“It is disappointing to continue to see the frequency in which travelers are bringing their guns to our checkpoints,” Spero said. “The guns caught this past weekend brings our annual total to 40 guns and we still have two full months to go in the calendar year.”
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a Federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to individuals 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 individuals with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried through a checkpoint. 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 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).
###