STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — A Mifflin County man allegedly attempted to carry a loaded handgun through a security checkpoint this morning at State College Regional Airport.
According to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers the .357 caliber firearm loaded with five bullets was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the firearm, which was in the man's carry-on bag.
TSA officials notified the police who allowed the man to exit the airport with his firearm. He now faces a stiff financial civil penalty. Civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“This was the second firearm that our officers have intercepted at the airport in the last month. Bringing loaded 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 Donald Weston, TSA’s Acting Federal Security Director for the airport. “It is disappointing to continue to see travelers bring their guns to our checkpoints.”
Passengers can 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. The 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 officials reserve 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 here.
