Crime & Safety
Teeny-Tiny Firearm Spotted by TSA in Virginia Airport
The keychain-sized gun was found in a small side pocket of a backpack at Roanoke Airport recently.
The TSA announced a record number of guns seized at security checkpoints at airports throughout the United States in 2014, but one gun spotted by a TSA agent recently at Roanoke Airport may be the most unique of them all.
Lisa Farbstein, the public affairs spokeswoman for the TSA, tweeted out a photo of the gun seized in Roanoke.
Despite being the size of a common keychain, Farbstein confirmed the gun was indeed real and not permitted through security.
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CNN reported more than 2,200 firearms were taken by TSA screeners last year, representing a 22 percent increase from 2013’s total.
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That’s a lot of guns, but a small percentage of the more than 443 million checked bags and more than 1.7 billion carry-on bags screened at airports nationwide.
Passengers found to be carrying firearms in their baggage at the airport can be arrested by airport or local police and face criminal charges.
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