A Randolph County, W.Va. man was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration officers at West Virginia International Yeager Airport stopped the man with a loaded handgun at the security checkpoint on Monday, April 3. The 9mm handgun was loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber. 

When the TSA officer spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine, airport police were alerted, came to the checkpoint and confiscated the weapon from the traveler, a resident of Bowden, W.Va. Police also cited the man on a weapons charge.

“When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident,” said John C. Allen, TSA’s Federal Security Director for West Virginia. “Guns at checkpoints can delay travelers from getting to their gates. When dangerous items are presented in the screening checkpoint, we have serious safety concerns for all in the area, and the resolution disrupts the process for the passengers waiting behind the offender.”

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) | Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Individuals who want to bring their guns with them when they fly need to pack them properly in their checked luggage, and declare them at their airline check-in counter to be transported in the belly of the plane where nobody has access to firearms during a flight.

This individual also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty for bringing his gun to the checkpoint. Penalties for bringing weapons to the airport can reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. Eighty-eight percent of those guns were loaded.

Original source can be found here