TSA finds second gun in three days at Pittsburgh International Airport
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A loaded handgun has been confiscated at Pittsburgh International Airport for the second time in three days.
TSA officers detected a loaded handgun in the carry-on bag of a Pittsburgh resident at a security checkpoint on Tuesday. This comes just two days after officers stopped a West Virginia man who also had a loaded gun in his possession.
TSA officers then notified the Allegheny County Police who confiscated the gun. The man told officials that he forgot that he had his loaded gun in his backpack, according to the TSA's press release.
"This individual told us that he had taken the gun with him on a camping trip and forgot that he had it with him later when he came to the airport," said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA's Federal Security Director for the airport.
"I have two pieces of advice to offer. First is that if you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times because that's part of being a responsible gun owner. Second is that when packing for a flight, start with an empty carry-on bag so that you know all of the contents of that bag. Doing so ensures that you will not be carrying anything prohibited or illegal. Because this traveler carried his gun to the checkpoint, he now faces a Federal financial civil penalty that could run into the thousands of dollars," Keys-Turner later added.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2022, about 86 percent were loaded.