NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — TSA officers at Norfolk International Airport prevented a resident from North Carolina from bringing his Sig P365 handgun onto the plane.
The gun was caught during security checkpoint of the handgun being in the carry-on bag. The gun was confiscated by police and the man was cited on a weapons charge.
The man also faces a financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.
The case will be forwarded to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney for possible criminal prosecution.
“It is highly disappointing that we continue to see individuals try to bring their guns onto a flight,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Had the gun been unloaded and declared at the airline check-in counter to be transported with checked baggage in the belly of the plane, there would have been no issue. But to bring a loaded gun to a checkpoint is inexcusable because you cannot bring a firearm onto a flight. Firearms need to be unloaded and packed in a locked hard-sided case for transport in the cargo hold with the rest of the checked bags.”
Last year, 6,735 firearms were caught at airport security checkpoints nationwide and 93 percent of them were loaded.
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