Loaded gun found during checkpoint at University Park Airport. Here’s what we know
An unnamed Georgia man had his .40 caliber handgun — loaded with 12 bullets — confiscated by Transportation Security Administration officials at the University Park Airport on Thursday after it was spotted in his carry-on at the checkpoint X-ray machine.
No charges were filed, according to a spokesperson from Penn State University Police, and the man was able to board his flight without the gun to Washington Dulles International Airport. According to the TSA, the man said he had driven to Pennsylvania from Georgia for his job, which is how he came to have the firearm.
Although no charges were filed, a TSA spokesperson said it is “highly likely” the man will still receive a federal civil penalty. Per the TSA’s website, individuals committing such violations can face a minimum fine of $1,330 and a maximum fine that exceeds $10,000.
University Police said it could not release the man’s name or age under the Criminal History Record Information Act, and the TSA said its department policy does not allow it to release such information either.
It was the first gun caught at the airport checkpoint this year.
Nationwide last year, 4,432 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country. About 87% of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded, according to data provided by the TSA.
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 11:12 AM.
