TSA catches loaded handgun, extra magazine in Montana man's carry-on bag at Philadelphia airport
PHILADELPHIA - A Montana man was found with a loaded handgun and an additional magazine in his carry-on bag Thursday at Philadelphia International Airport, officials said.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers spotted the 9mm handgun during an x-ray scan of the passenger's carry-on items, according to a press release.
Officials said the gun was loaded with 13 bullets, including one in the chamber. A search also uncovered a loaded magazine inside the man's carry-on bag.
Philadelphia police confiscated the gun and briefly detained the man for questioning, according to officials. TSA forwarded the incident to be followed up with the issuance of a federal financial civil penalty.
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"Bringing a deadly weapon such as a loaded handgun to a security checkpoint is a very serious offense," TSA’s Federal Security Director for Philadelphia International Airport Gerardo Spero said. "Travelers are responsible for the contents of their bags."
It was the 16th gun that officers have caught at one of the airport checkpoints so far this year.
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 with checked baggage. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition.
More information on how to properly travel with a firearm can be found on the TSA's website.