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Agents found two loaded handguns during routine security screenings last week at the airport, TSA announced.
The first was on Thursday morning, Dec. 8, when screeners detected a loaded .38 Special in a woman's purse, the TSA said. She told police that she was in a rush when leaving her house and forgot to put it back in her safe. Massachusetts State Police confiscated the weapon and gave her a summons to appear.
The second was found on Friday when agents discovered a loaded .380-caliber in a man's carry-on bag. State troopers seized the gun and arrested him after he couldn't produce his handgun carry permit. They did not release his name.
“Once again, our officers are on top of preventing loaded firearms from entering the secure area of the airport,” said Bob Allison, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Massachusetts. “Carelessly traveling with a loaded firearm is dangerous and a public safety concern, considering it could accidentally be discharged during a search. Gun owners need to ensure they know where their firearms are before traveling to the airport.”
These seizures mark the 27th and 28th guns found at Logan Airport this year, far exceeding the previous record of 20 set in 2018.
Aside from potentially facing jail time, carrying a firearm in an airport illegally can cost you a small fortune. The TSA usually charges between $3,000 to $15,000 for first-time offenders depending on mitigating circumstances.
There are legal ways to travel with a weapon, however. The TSA posts the rules on its website.
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