Yet again, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reminding passengers to not bring loaded guns through airport security checkpoints, as they present a serious security threat that requires the immediate attention of officers. This is not a new issue, with weapons being stopped at TSA checkpoints across the country last year, and penalties for failing to appropriately transport weapons in checked luggage (where they must be unloaded) are extremely high . Get all the latest aviation news from Simple Flying! This latest warning comes as just this past Saturday, TSA officers at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) intercepted a pair of handguns that were located in passenger carry-on luggage.
The two incidents were not related, and both individuals claimed that they had forgotten to appropriately store these weapons in their checked baggage. As a result of this incident, the TSA wants to again make it clear to passengers that only firearms appropriately stored appropriately in checked luggage will be allowed to fly . A deeper look at the incidents this past weekend According to a press release from the TSA , the first of these incidents involved a man from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, who was stopped for having a 9 mm handgun inside his backpack that was loaded with four bullets.
He told officials at the airport that he was not aware that the weapon was in his backpack, and noted that he would not have brought it through the security checkpoint had he been awar.