McDonald man stopped at Pittsburgh airport security with handgun in carry-on bag
A Washington County man was stopped at Pittsburgh International Airport’s security checkpoint last week after he was found with a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag.
Transportation Security Administration officers said they stopped the McDonald man during the screening check Friday after finding a .380-caliber handgun loaded with six bullets in his bag.
The man was not identified, and federal authorities said they turned the case over to local police, who took possession the firearm. He faces up to a federal civil penalty up to $15,000 for the infraction.
TSA agents have confiscated a total of 39 firearms at the Pittsburgh airport this year, which tops the previous records set in 2019 when 35 guns were found in the security checkpoint.
Passengers may travel with firearms in their checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Travelers should take the locked case to to the airline check-in counter and notify the attendant that a weapon is in the checked bag.