SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Transportation Security Administration officers at Syracuse-Hancock International Airport (SYR) prevented a Wayne County, New York, man from bringing a loaded handgun onto an airplane last week, March 2, when they found the gun tucked in the man’s jacket pocket.
The man, a resident of Savannah, New York, was stopped as he was entering the checkpoint. TSA officers detected the.380 caliber handgun in the pocket of the man’s jacket, which he had placed in a checkpoint bin. The gun was loaded with six bullets and a second magazine loaded with six additional bullets also was in the jacket pocket.
The TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray machine detected the handgun as it passed along the conveyor belt inside the man’s carry-on bag.
Airport law enforcement officers were called to the checkpoint, where they confiscated the firearm. The man claimed that he forgot that he had his loaded gun and loaded ammunition magazine in his jacket pocket.
Individuals who show up with weapons at airport checkpoints cause the checkpoint lane to come to a halt until police arrive and handle the situation.
As a reminder, weapons-including firearms, firearm parts and ammunition-are not permitted in carry-on bags. Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA of up to $12,000.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-side case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
