NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Transportation Security Administration officers working at the Nashville International Airport (BNA) security checkpoint discovered a firearm each day between August 10 through 13.
Information on the four firearms is below:
Thursday, August 10- unloaded Gecado.25 caliber handgun
Friday, August 11- loaded Diamondback.380 caliber handgun
Saturday, August 12- unloaded Glock.40 caliber handgun
Sunday, August 13- loaded North American Arms.22 caliber handgun
In each incident, TSA immediately alerted airport police, who took possession of the bag and escorted the passenger out of the checkpoint area.
While firearms may be transported in checked baggage (provided they are declared to the airline, in a proper carrying case and unloaded), they are prohibited in carry-on bags.
TSA would like to remind passengers that it is important for them to thoroughly search their bags for any potential dangerous weapons or prohibited items before departing for the airport.
Safety is the first concern of TSA, and having these items in bags that are traveling with you on the aircraft is dangerous to other travelers and can be easily mistaken as an intentional attempt to bring a prohibited item onto an aircraft.
“Passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to the checkpoint," said Mark Howell, TSA Regional Spokesperson. “Our advice is to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items."
TSA officers at the BNA security checkpoint have now discovered a total of 53 firearms in 2017. A total of 80 were found there in 2016.
In addition to potential criminal charges, passengers who bring firearms to a checkpoint face civil penalties from TSA.
For more information about TSA prohibited items, please go to TSA.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
