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On Monday, Nov. 22, officers spotted a man with a .22-caliber handgun at one of the security checkpoints at the airport, loaded with four bullets inside.
TSA officials alerted the Port Authority Police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun, and arrested a man from Tuckahoe on multiple weapons charges.
Officials did not release the man’s identity, but noted that he also faces thousands of dollars in federal fines for bringing the gun to the airport.
Monday’s arrest was the ninth in 2021 after confiscating 18 guns the previous four years combined at JFK Airport.
“Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane,” TSA officials advised in a statement.
“Guns are absolutely not permitted to be carried onto planes. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition.
“When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident,” they added. "Guns at checkpoints can delay travelers from getting to their gates.”
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