HARRISBURG, Pa. — A York County man was stopped from brining a loaded gun onto a Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) flight on Monday.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped the Dillsburg man as he entered the security checkpoint.
The X-ray unit alerted on the carry-on bag, which was opened for closer inspection. According to TSA, the 9mm gun was loaded with seven bullets.
The firearm was removed by local police, who confiscated it and issued a summons to the man.
In addition to the summons, the man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty. The penalty for carrying weapons was recently increased to a maximum of $15,000.
“The TSA officers in Harrisburg perform their jobs well with a focus on our mission,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “I hope this serves as a reminder to others not to make this same mistake. Travelers should not bring their guns to an airport security checkpoint."
Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. They must be unloaded and then packed in a hard-sided locked case.
The locked case should then 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.
Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. Eighty-eight percent of those guns were loaded.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly.
Travelers can also ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA or send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
