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The man was not only found with a weapon but it was a loaded 9 mm in his carry-on bag, according to the release on Dec. 20.
The gun was found by officers at the x-ray machine.
This makes the tenth gun found this year, which is the highest number at HIA in the 21-year history of the TSA, according to the release.
“Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on their mission—especially during the busy holiday travel period,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “If you own a firearm, it is your responsibility to know where it is at all times and know that it cannot go through an airport security checkpoint. This individual now faces a stiff financial civil penalty—a penalty for carrying a weapon that was recently increased to a maximum of $15,000.”
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.
Across the country, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints in 2021. Of the guns caught by TSA last year, about 86 percent were loaded. TSA has already surpassed the 2021 figure and expects to detect approximately 6,600 firearms at security checkpoints by the end of 2022, which will be a new record nationwide.
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