Loaded Gun Found In Florida Man's Bag At Philly International Airport

PHILADELPHIA — A firearm loaded with 17 rounds, as well as an additional ammunition magazine, were seized by police at the Philadelphia International Airport Thursday, TSA said.

According to authorities, the discovery was made when a checkpoint X-ray unit alerted a TSA officer of a gun inside the carry-on bag of a Florida man.

Police showed up to the checkpoint and confiscated the 9mm firearm from the traveler.

As of Thursday, TSA has caught 32 firearms at the Philadelphia International Airport this year.

"When someone brings a loaded gun to one of our checkpoints, it is a risk to everyone in the airport," Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, said. "Firearms represent a threat because the intention of the traveler is unknown. If you own a firearm, do not bring it to a checkpoint. If you must travel with your gun, the proper way to do it is to make sure it’s unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case and taken to the airline check-in counter. The airline will ensure it is transported in the belly of the aircraft."

Spero said the Florida man can "expect that TSA will issue him a very costly Federal civil penalty for his careless actions."

"That’s an expensive lesson to learn," he said. "Hopefully other owners of firearms will learn from his mistake."