Man arrested after bringing gun to Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint; 7th gun confiscated this year
A traveler from Arkansas was arrested Tuesday after TSA officers stopped him with a handgun at the security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The man was caught transporting a 9 mm unloaded firearm and two gun magazines packed with 16 bullets in them in carry-on baggage, according to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.
Police arrived at the checkpoint and confiscated the weapon and arrested the man.
“It’s a shame that not all travelers recognize the fact that guns are not permitted to be carried onto a flight,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA federal security director. “It’s the busy spring travel season and when someone shows up with a firearm at the checkpoint the conveyor belt is stopped until the police arrive and can remove the carry-on bag from the X-ray machine to safely secure the weapon.”
In addition to his arrest, the man faces stiff federal penalties ranging up to $15,000 for bringing a weapon to the checkpoint.
“Guns should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage,” Keys-Turner reminded airline passengers.
Individuals with concealed carry gun permits are not allowed to carry a firearm onto an airplane.
Airline passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage.
Those weapons must be unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case.
The locked case is required to be checked at an airline counter and declared.
This was the seventh gun caught by TSA agents at Pittsburgh International Airport this year. Last year, TSA confiscated 26 firearms, a decrease from 32 in 2021.
For more information on legal travel with a firearm, click here.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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