Crime & Safety
Loaded Gun Seized At PGH Airport On Christmas Day In Record-Breaking Year: TSA
A local man had a loaded handgun in his carry-on items on Christmas, which was among a record-breaking number of seizures at the airport.
PITTSBURGH, PA — A local traveler tried to carry a loaded .380-caliber handgun through Pittsburgh International Airport security on Christmas Day and now faces a hefty fine, airport security officials said.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said the unidentified man "was caught with a .380 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets among his carry-on items." TSA agents seized the firearm before the McMurray resident got on the flight, officials added.
This brings the total number of firearms caught at airport checkpoints to 44 so far in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 35 firearms caught in 2019. Last year, the TSA caught 26 firearms at the airport.
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Karen Keys-Turner, the TSA's Federal Security Director for the airport, had strong words for this traveler and anyone else who brings a loaded handgun to a security checkpoint, calling it "absolutely unforgivable."
“Our TSA officers work on holidays so that others may travel to visit family and friends,” Keys-Turner said in a statement. “Their continued vigilance to ensure that people can get to their destinations safely is demonstrated daily and Christmas day was no exception when they prevented a traveler from bringing a loaded handgun onto a flight. "
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The TSA has seen an increase in the number of firearms caught at checkpoints nationwide — Last year, agents caught 6,542 firearms at airport checkpoints, and this year's count might surpass that, the agency said. Civil penalties for bringing a weapon into a checkpoint can reach up to $15,000, depending on the specific weapon and the circumstances, officials said.
"Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint because they know the proper way to pack a firearm for a flight," Keys-Turner added. "This individual carelessly introduced an unnecessary risk into the airport environment and as a result he will face a stiff Federal financial penalty that will likely cost him thousands of dollars."
For TSA guidelines on transporting firearms and ammunition when traveling, click here.
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