A loaded hand gun was reported to airport police by TSA on Sunday, August 8 at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport.
The gun belonged to a Potter County, Pennsylvania man and was inside the carry-on bag loaded with seven bullets and one in the chamber.
The man now faces a federal financial penalty for bringing the .380 caliber handgun to the airport checkpoint.
Bart R. Johnson, Federal Security Director for Upstate New York, said the TSA’s actions prevented a dangerous weapon from being brought onto an airplane by a person who had no self-awareness as to where their loaded handgun even was.
Passengers are allowed to bring firearms if they follow a strict list of rules that include declaring them in checked baggage and packing them separately, unloaded, away from the ammunition.
Of all guns caught by TSA in 2020, 83% of them were loaded.
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