Loaded handgun stopped at Pittsburgh International Airport for second time in three days
For the second time in three days, officers prevented a loaded gun from getting on a plane at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration says officers found a loaded .380 caliber revolver in a woman’s backpack early Tuesday morning. The discovery comes only days after another loaded handgun was stopped by authorities.
RELATED COVERAGE >> Clarion County woman caught with loaded gun at Pittsburgh International Airport
“The high number of travelers who are bringing their loaded guns to our security checkpoints needs to stop. There is absolutely no excuse for bringing a firearm to one of our checkpoints,” said TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport Karen Keys-Turner. “Travelers are responsible for the items that they have in their possession. guns should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage. Responsible gun owners know this,” she said.
The woman now faces a federal financial civil penalty of up to $15,000.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. So far this year, TSA has stopped more than 4,000 guns at security checkpoints across the country. At Pittsburgh airport, 32 guns have been stopped.
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