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On Friday, Jan. 28, a Georgia man tried to bring a .40 caliber handgun onto a plane, the Transportation Security Administration said.
The man claimed that the gun found in his carry-on bag was a training weapon, however, it was an actual functioning firearm, according to TSA officials.
It was the third handgun discovered by TSA officers at airport checkpoints in seven days.
Officers also stopped a Philadelphia woman on Saturday, Jan. 22, and a Harleysville, Pa., man on Tuesday, Jan. 25, each with guns in their carry-on bags, the TSA said.
All guns were confiscated, and the group was expected to face federal financial and civil penalties, according to the TSA.
“Guns and airplanes don’t mix,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport.
“Guns of any type are not permitted through security checkpoints. That includes actual firearms, replica guns, toy guns, training guns, BB guns, starter pistols, air-soft guns, and any other type of gun. Even realistic replica guns can cause a panic on a flight.”
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty of up to $13,900 to individuals who bring weapons with them to a checkpoint, its website says.
Nationwide, TSA officers found 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints in 2021. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2022, about 86 percent were loaded, the administration said.
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