TSA officers found a handgun in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Philadelphia International Airport Friday.
The man was arrested at the security checkpoint when the .32 caliber gun was found. He told officers the gun belonged to his friend and he forgot that he had it in his carry-on bag.
The man, who lives in New Jersey, faces a federal fine that could stretch into the thousands of dollars.
“Telling us that you forgot that you had a gun with you is no excuse. It is important to know the contents of your carry-on bags to ensure that there are no weapons inside,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Philadelphia International Airport in a written statement.
“Travelers need to be prepared to go through the security checkpoint and that means knowing what you are bringing with you.”
This gun is the fifth firearm caught at Philadelphia International Airport so far this year. Nationwide, TSA officers found 3,257 firearms on passengers or in their carry-on bags in 2020.
Whether or not a person has a concealed gun carry permit, firearms are not allowed to be carried onto a plane, according to the TSA. Guns must be unloaded and packed in the correct way, separately from ammunition. Passengers can find specifics on the TSA’s website.