HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Virginia man is facing a citation and fine after attempting to board a plane at Harrisburg International Airport with a handgun and magazine with seven bullets in his carry-on bag.
Transportation Security Administration officers discovered the gun at the security checkpoint when the x-ray unit alerted on the firearm. It was the second weapon TSA officers have stopped at the checkpoint this year, officials said.
The TSA notified the police, who confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charge. Law enforcement officers confiscate guns, not TSA officials.
In addition to the citation by airport police, the man now faces a financial civil penalty that can reach up to $15,000.
“Bringing guns to checkpoints is a serious security violation and this individual can expect to receive a federal fine that will be in the thousands of dollars,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint also carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality, and individuals who want to travel with their gun should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws, the TSA said. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Travelers have a number of ways to double check which bag an item should be packed in or if it is prohibited on a flight:
- Download the free myTSA app and take advantage of the “What can I bring?” feature
- Message officials on Facebook or Twitter on account @AskTSA
- Text “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
TSA officials are available for live online assistance from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
