Claysville man caught with gun at Pittsburgh International Airport
Courtesy of TSA
Officers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) stopped a Claysville man Friday after finding a firearm in his carry-on bag at the Pittsburgh International Airport.
According to a press release from the TSA, the man had a .40-caliber handgun loaded with seven bullets. The TSA did not identify the man.
“Since mid-June, our officers have intercepted 10 firearms at our checkpoints here at Pittsburgh,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s federal security director for the airport, in the release. “Let’s be very clear about this. Firearms are not permitted past our security checkpoints. Period. Bringing a gun to a checkpoint means that travelers are introducing threats to the airport environment.”
On Sunday, police found a .38-caliber pistol in the carry-on bag of a woman from Weirton, W.Va.
The TSA may issue a federal civil penalty to travelers who bring a gun to an airport checkpoint. TSA urges those traveling with a firearm to ensure it is unloaded, packed in a hard-sided, locked case and declared at the check-in counter.
“Travelers need to pay much closer attention to the items that they have inside their carry-on bags,” said Keys-Turner. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags. In addition, responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and they know not to bring them to a security checkpoint. Both of these travelers can expect that TSA will issue them a costly federal civil penalty.”