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An unnamed Mechanicsburg man "told officials that he carries the gun with him when he goes to church because he serves on the church security detail and forgot that he had it with him when he headed to the airport for his flight," as stated in the release.
The 9mm gun was loaded with 10 bullets, as detailed int he release.
The gun was found by officers at the x-ray machine. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA officer to check the carry-on bag, which was opened by officials for a closer inspection.
Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and now the man faces a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
This makes the third gun found in the first three months of 2023 at HIA, the TSA said.
In December, a Florida man inadvertently sent a record at HIA by bringing the 10th gun to be seized at the airport in 2022, the most ever found in a year in the 21-year history of the TSA at the airport, as Daily Voice previously reported.
“The TSA officers in Harrisburg perform their jobs exceptionally well,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “When dangerous items such as loaded guns are brought to a security checkpoint, it represents a serious security and safety concern. Individuals are not permitted to carry a firearm through a security checkpoint— not someone with a concealed weapons permit, not someone who is enrolled in TSA PreCheck®, not an airport worker and not a traveler who forgot that he had it with him.”
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, you can learn more about the TSA policies for traveling with a firearm here.
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