5 guns intercepted at Pittsburgh International Airport so far in February, TSA says

PITTSBURGH — TSA officers stopped another gun from getting through a security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday.

The gun belongs to a man from Portage, Pa., and is the fifth gun TSA officers detected this month. It’s the eigth gun stopped so far this year. Last year, 42 guns were seized at the airport -- the most of any airport in the state.

“It is extremely concerning that so many individuals are coming to our checkpoints with their loaded guns. This was a .380 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s federal security director for Pennsylvania. “Carrying a gun to a checkpoint is a security threat because we don’t know the intent of the individual with the gun. Now this man faces a potential federal financial penalty that can run into the thousands of dollars.”

Passengers who bring guns to airport checkpoints can face federal civil fines of up to $15,000, depending on the specific weapon and the circumstances. This appies to travelers with or without a concealed carry permit.

Passengers can travel with guns only in checked baggage if 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. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm on its website.

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