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The checkpoint X-ray unit triggered an alarm that led to the discovery on Tuesday, April 25, said Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the Transporation Security Administration.
The .22-caliber gun was loaded with 10 rounds and came with two boxes of 50 bullets each, Farbstein said.
TSA officers alerted Port Authority police, who seized the traveler, the gun and the ammo, she said.
The Brooklyn man told them he'd "taken his bag to a shooting range and forgot that the gun and ammunition were in [it]," Farbstein said.
Now he's looking at a potential fine that, depending on the circumstances, could reach $15,000 she said.
“People carrying guns to our checkpoints represent a serious security and safety concern,” said Robert Duffy, the TSA’s federal security director for New York City's airports.
“The fact that the majority of people tell us that they forgot that they had their loaded gun with them is equally disconcerting," Duffy said. "If you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times. That’s part of being a responsible gun owner."
Travelers cannot carry guns onto planes under any circumstances, even if they have a concealed carry permit.
Passengers can travel with firearms only in checked baggage and if they're properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter, Farbstein said.
The guns must be unloaded in a hard-sided locked case that's packed separately from ammunition, she said.
The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.
- FIND DETAILS HERE: Transporting Firearms and Ammunition (TSA.gov)
- FIND PENALTIES HERE: Civil Enforcement (TSA.gov)
- ALSO SEE: 'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints
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