HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Lancaster County man was stopped from boarding an airplane with a loaded handgun in his possession Wednesday by Transportation Security Administration officers at Harrisburg International Airport, the TSA said Thursday.
The man, an Ephrata resident, had a loaded .380-caliber handgun in his belongings when he was stopped at a security checkpoint's X-ray machine, according to the TSA.
Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority Police were called to the scene and took the man into custody for questioning, the TSA said.
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He was released after being cited for weapons charges, according to the TSA.
Wednesday's incident was the first of the year at Harrisburg International Airport, the TSA said. Last year, the TSA stopped seven people from trying to board airplanes while possessing firearms; six people were stopped in 2018, according to the TSA.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared, the TSA said. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.
