Officials: 39th gun caught at Philadelphia airport, matching last year's record
Loaded gun found at Philadelphia airport.
PHILADELPHIA - A Montgomery County man was caught with a loaded gun at the Philadelphia airport this weekend, marking the 39th gun found this year.
Officials say a .380 caliber handgun was spotted inside the TSA checkpoint X-ray machine at the Philadelphia International Airport on Saturday. It was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber.
TSA officers confiscated the gun from the man, who will be issued a federal financial civil penalty.
MORE HEADLINES:
- Video: 2 sought in West Philadelphia shooting that left person in critical condition, police say
- Gun store burglary: 5 suspects, car caught on video after pistols, rifles stolen in Bucks County
- Police: Philadelphia charter school on lockdown, student detained after gun found in locker
"Responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and they know that they are not allowed to carry them onto their flight," said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Philadelphia International Airport. "Bringing a gun to an airport introduces an unnecessary risk that an accident could happen If you own a firearm, under no circumstances should you ever bring it to a checkpoint. They must be properly packed and declared at the airline check-in counter."
The handgun is the 39th gun found at the airport, tying the 2022 record with more than a month left in the year.
Firearms are only allowed to be transported unloaded as checked baggage. For more information, sits the TSA website.