Florida woman facing charges after loaded gun found at Pittsburgh International Airport
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A Florida woman is facing charges after a loaded revolver was found in her backpack Sunday at Pittsburgh International Airport, according to Allegheny County Police.
Transportation Security Administration officers spotted the gun just before 7 p.m. in an X-ray machine at the main security checkpoint. The 22-year-old woman, who was not identified in a news release, did not have a concealed carry permit, police said.
TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said the gun had six bullets loaded. The woman told authorities that it belonged to a dead relative.
The weapon was seized by investigators. It was the third found at a security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport so far in 2022.
In 2021, there were 32 firearms seized at Pittsburgh International Airport, according to TSA statistics. That’s in line with past years at the airport with 32, 34 and 35 guns being found in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. Twenty-one firearms were seized in 2020, a time when air travel was down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nationwide, there were nearly 6,000 firearms caught at security checkpoints in 2021, according to TSA statistics. That was a big jump from 2019 when about 4,400 guns were found.
Travelers found with guns at security checkpoints can face civil penalties and criminal charges. Firearms should be put in checked baggage in a locked, hard-sided container.