Crime & Safety
Woman Packed Gun In Carry-On Bag, Detained At Sarasota Airport: Report
A pistol was found in the carry-on bag of an 85-year-old woman flying out of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, a report said.
SARASOTA, FL — An 85-year-old woman was detained Tuesday at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport after trying to bring a gun through the security checkpoint, ABC7 reported.
The woman packed a COLT M1911 pistol in her carry-on items, which was detected by Transportation Security Administration agents.
Airport police confiscated the weapon and questioned the woman, who was given a summons to appear in Sarasota County court and, ultimately, allowed to board the plane.
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A record number of guns were seized at U.S. airports in 2022 and 88 percent of the more than 6,000 firearms confiscated were loaded, TSA said. Florida saw a 19 percent increase in the number of guns seized.
As of early October, 2023 was expected to surpass the number of guns seized at airports, the TSA said.
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