HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Florida man was stopped by TSA officers at Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) on Friday when they detected a 9mm handgun in the man's carry-on bag at the airport checkpoint.
The gun was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA officer to take a closer look inside the man's carry-on bag, which was opened by police for a closer inspection.
Police cited the man on a weapons charge.
The penalty for carrying weapons through a security checkpoint can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“We are in the midst of one of the busiest travel periods of the year and this is no time to be carrying a loaded gun to our checkpoints,” said Karen Keys-Turner, the airport’s TSA’s Federal Security Director. “Airports are congested, people are eager to travel for the July 4th holiday and toting a loaded gun in such an environment is an accident waiting to happen."
"Gun owners have a responsibility to know where their firearms are at all times and know that they should not be in a carry-on bag,” Keys-Turner added. “Travelers need to come to the airport prepared to go through the security screening process and that means knowing the contents of their carry-on bags and knowing that there are no prohibited items inside.”
Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded then packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.
The TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
It marked the sixth gun stopped at the security checkpoint so far this year. Nationwide, more than 3,000 guns have been stopped at airport checkpoints by TSA officers so far in 2023.
