A Newark, N.J., man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Newark Liberty International Airport stopped him with a 9mm handgun in his backpack on Saturday, April 1. 

The firearm was loaded with eight hollow-point bullets.

When the TSA officer spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine in Terminal C, Port Authority Police were alerted, came to the checkpoint and confiscated the weapon from the man before arresting him on weapons charges.

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

The man was employed by a company at the airport and his employee badge was confiscated at the time of the incident. He is no longer employed at the airport.

When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident. Guns at checkpoints can delay travelers from getting to their gates.

“This was a good catch on the part of our TSA officers, who remain vigilant during this busy spring travel period,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “Individuals who work at the airport are subject to the same robust security screening procedures as travelers. Any time 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. Saturday was April Fool’s Day, but I can assure you that nobody was laughing when our officers detected a loaded gun. Bringing a firearm to a checkpoint is no joke.”

This individual also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a security checkpoint. The penalty for bringing a weapon to a TSA checkpoint can cost as much as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.

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

TSA firearms catches at airport checkpoints at Newark Liberty International Airport, 2018 to 2023

Original source can be found here