PA Woman Caught With Loaded Gun At Pittsburgh Airport

PITTSBURGH, PA — A Westmoreland County woman was stopped at Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint last week after authorities found a loaded gun in her carry-on bag.

In a news release, the Transportation Security Administration said officers stopped the woman Friday after discovering she had a 9mm handgun in her possession. Authorities said there were six bullets in the gun, including one in the chamber.

The gun was the 12th found at Pittsburgh airport security checkpoints this year, authorities said. It's unknown if the woman will face charges.

"The fact that there was a bullet in the chamber is an accident waiting to happen," Karen Keys-Turner, TSA's federal security director at the Pittsburgh airport, said in a statement. "Responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and they know not to bring one in their carry-on bags."

Last year, a record 6,737 firearms were caught at checkpoints nationwide, according to TSA data. Of those, 44 were caught at Pittsburgh airport checkpoints.

According to the TSA, passengers can only travel with firearms if they're in checked baggage, unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case must also be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.

Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty of up to $15,000, depending on the weapon and the circumstances surrounding its discovery, officials said.

Details on how to travel with a firearm are posted on the TSA's website.