MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers found a loaded handgun in a carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport over the weekend.
According to TSA officials, the 9 mm was found in an Ohio man’s carry-on bag at a security checkpoint on Saturday.
The gun was loaded with 14 bullets, including one in the chamber, according to officials.
“When a traveler brings a gun to the airport checkpoint, the U.S. States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania requests county sheriffs to rescind a resident’s firearm concealed carry license due to negligence,” TSA officials said in a news release.
Allegheny County police confiscated the firearm from the man, officials said.
“Our TSA officers are good at detecting firearms and other prohibited items from being carried through security checkpoints. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times, and they know that they are not permitted to carry them onto a flight,” said TSA’s federal security director for the airport, Karen Keys-Turner. “If you want to travel with your firearm, all someone has to do is pack it properly. Now, this traveler faces a stiff financial civil penalty.”
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. About 86% of the guns caught by TSA were loaded, said officials.
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