TSA stops loaded gun at Pittsburgh International Airport

PITTSBURGH, Pa.— A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) stopped a local Pennsylvania resident with a loaded 9mm handgun in his carry-on bag at the airport security checkpoint on Monday, June 5.

"The safety and security of our workforce and traveling public is TSA's top priority" said, TSA Deputy Federal Security Director Don Weston. "Our highly trained Transportation Security Officers remain sharp during the summer travel period and passengers are reminded to not bring prohibited items to the airport security checkpoint."

TSA officers discovered the firearm during security screening and the Allegheny County police were alerted. The police discovered the firearm was loaded with a chambered round and confiscated the weapon.

Recently, two Pennsylvania men were stopped by TSA officers at the Pittsburgh International Airport on May 25th and May 26th when they detected loaded 9mm handguns in each of the men's carry-on bags. The incidents were not related.

This was the 16th gun TSA officers have caught at PIT airport security checkpoints this year.

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 reserves the right to issue a civil penalty of up to $15,000 to individuals who bring weapons with them to a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating or aggravating 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. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges for up to five years.

Travelers are allowed to transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and travelers should check into firearm laws before they decide to travel with their guns. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.