Florida man stopped with loaded gun at Harrisburg International Airport

Lara Bonatesta
·2 min read
30

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A Florida man with a loaded gun was prevented by TSA from getting on a flight at the Harrisburg International Airport on Friday, Dec. 22.

According to TSA, the man had a .380 caliber gun loaded with seven bullets stored in his carry-on bag. The gun was detected at the TSA checkpoint.

This loaded handgun inside a traveler’s carry-on bag was detected by TSA officers at Harrisburg International Airport on Dec. 22. (TSA photo)
This loaded handgun inside a traveler’s carry-on bag was detected by TSA officers at Harrisburg International Airport on Dec. 22. (TSA photo)

According to TSA, the man claimed that he had forgotten that he had his loaded gun with him.

This was the eighth time a firearm has been caught at a TSA checkpoint at the Harrisburg International Airport in 2023. In 2022, 10 firearms were caught at the airport.

“Our TSA officers work during the holiday travel period so that others may travel to visit family and friends,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Their continued vigilance to ensure that people can get to their destinations safely is demonstrated daily and on the Friday before the Christmas holiday, which is one of the busiest travel days of the holiday travel period, was no exception when they prevented a traveler from bringing a loaded handgun onto a flight. It’s absolutely unforgivable to bring a firearm to a security checkpoint.”

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“This individual told us he forgot that he had a loaded gun with him. That’s irresponsible. Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint because they know the proper way to pack a firearm for a flight. This individual carelessly introduced an unnecessary risk into the airport environment and as a result he will face a stiff Federal financial penalty that will likely cost him thousands of dollars,” Keys-Turner added.

TSA explains the right way to travel with a gun

Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty, which can be thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances.

Nationally, the TSA is on track to set a new record for the most guns stopped at checkpoints in a single year. The current record is from 2022 at 6,542 guns.

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