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It was part of what threatens to be a record year with more than 5,000 guns intercepted at airports throughout the country so far compared with 6,542 for ALL of 2023.
The traveler's .38-caliber revolver was spotted in the X-ray machine in Newark's Terminal C, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said.
Port Authority police seized the weapon and its owner, who "claimed that he did not realize that he was traveling with his loaded gun in his carry-on bag," Farbstein said.
In addition to criminal charges, he faces up to $15,000 in civil penalties, she said.
There are other considerations, as well.
That includes bringing an entire security checkpoint to a dead stop until the gun and the carrier are turned over to PAPD police, said Thomas Carter, TSA’s federal security director for New Jersey.
Claiming you didn’t know the weapon was there doesn’t wash. Just makes you look irresponsible.
“There is absolutely no excuse for bringing a firearm to one of our checkpoints,” Carter said. "Responsible gun owners know this.”
Makes no difference whether or not you have a concealed carry permit, he said.
SEE: Civil Penalties For Trying To Carry A Gun Aboard A Plane
“My best advice is that when you’re ready to pack, start with an empty bag,” Carter said.This way, he said, “you know with certainty what you’ve got inside and you know that there is nothing prohibited in a side pocket, zippered pouch or just in the bottom of your bag....That goes for backpacks, roller bags, handbags, messenger bags and duffle bags."
You may bring a gun in a checked bag if it's properly packaged and declared at the airline ticket counter, the TSA NJ director said.
Guns must be unloaded, placed in a hard-sided locked case and packed separately from ammunition, he said. The locked case must be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.
SEE: TSA Guidelines For Properly Traveling With A Firearm
Small arms ammunition (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a box made of fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic, or metal specifically designed to carry ammunition. That, too, must be declared.
Travelers cannot use firearm magazines or clips for packing ammunition unless they completely enclose the ammunition. Travelers should check with their airline for ammo quantity limits.
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