Another gun caught at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint
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For the second straight day, a passenger was caught trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at Pittsburgh International Airport, officials said.
Early Wednesday, officials say Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a traveler with a loaded .40-caliber handgun with six bullets in his carry-on bag. The man, a Beaver resident, told officials he had the gun with him while he was hunting and forgot he still had it with him.
After TSA officers spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine, they alerted Allegheny County police, who then confiscated the weapon and held the man for questioning.
The man, whom officials did not identify, was cited and issued a summons to appear in court.
The gun caught Tuesday was detected in an Ohio man’s backpack, officials said.
“Two days in a row our officers have prevented loaded guns from being carried onto flights by individuals who didn’t realize that they had their loaded guns with them,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security director for Pittsburgh International Airport.
“Responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and don’t make these sorts of careless mistakes. Now each individual faces significant penalties from TSA that could cost them thousands of dollars.”
Passengers are not allowed to carry their guns onto airplanes. However, they can transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at the ticket counter.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.