TSA stopped woman at Bradley Airport with loaded gun in fanny pack

Officials said a female passenger tried bringing a loaded gun through airport security at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut last Wednesday, but Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials stopped her before she boarded a plane.

During a security screening on Wednesday afternoon, TSA officials detected a gun in the woman’s fanny pack and subsequently called Connecticut State Police. State police found a loaded .9 mm firearm in her bag with a bullet in the chamber, and the woman was arrested after questioning on a state charge for circumventing security, TSA said.

• Read more: Woman claiming to be Boston police officer tried to bring loaded gun on plane

“Our TSA officers once again prove why they are vital to airport security,” said William Csontos, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Connecticut. “Passengers who are traveling with firearms need to ensure they declare them with the airline and that they are properly packed in their checked baggage.”

This was the 40th firearm found in a New England airport this year, and the fifth at Bradley International Airport for the year. Bradley had a high of nine firearm detections in 2021, and Boston Logan saw a record-breaking 26 guns so far in 2022 detected by TSA.

TSA’s website states they consider a weapon to be loaded if the weapon and its ammunition are both accessible to the passenger. TSA allows unloaded firearms to be transported within a “locked, hard-sided container and declared to the airline before traveling” in their checked baggage.

Along with guns, TSA also considers frames, receivers, and 3D-printed guns to be firearms.

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TSA reminded passengers of the penalties associated with having guns at security checkpoints. A fine for a first offense is typically $4,100 but it can go as high as $13,669.

This rule applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits. Although a passenger may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow them to carry a firearm on a plane, officials said. TSA has the complete list of civil penalties posted online, and its website has more details how to properly travel with a firearm.