East Deer woman charged with bringing unlicensed gun to airport
Allegheny County Police have charged an East Deer woman with bringing an unpermitted handgun to the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport.
Lynda R. Lee, 61, of Creighton, East Deer, was going through the U.S. Transportation Security Administration checkpoint shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday morning when officers noticed the handgun in her purse.
Police said Lee did not have a valid concealed-carry permit. She faces a felony charge of carrying an unlicensed firearm.
It is the 39th firearm caught by TSA officers at the airport this year. In 2023, Pittsburgh International security officers found 44 — the most ever at the airport.
When a gun is detected in the checkpoint X-ray unit, the conveyor belt is stopped, and the police are notified, according to the TSA. Police remove the carry-on bag from the X-ray unit because TSA does not want its officers handling firearms, and police determine whether a traveler is arrested or issued a criminal citation.
A preliminary court date for Lee has not yet been scheduled, according to court records.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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