Allegedly Tried To Take The Weapon Onto An Airplane

TSA officers prevented a North Carolina man from bringing a loaded handgun on board a plane at a Charlotte Douglas International Airport checkpoint this morning.

The man was stopped by TSA officers at the checkpoint with a loaded .40 caliber handgun.

TSA officers detected the gun and ammunition as the man was passing through the airport checkpoint. The TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray machine detected the firearm as it passed along the conveyor belt inside the man’s carry-on bag. TSA officers immediately contacted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which responded to the checkpoint. The passenger was questioned and arrested on a local charge of carrying a firearm on airport property.

There is a right way to travel with a firearm and a wrong way. The wrong way is to bring it to a checkpoint.  Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed in a hard-side case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the firearm must be taken to the airline check-in counter.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm on TSA.gov. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition so travelers should contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.

(Image provided with TSA news release)

FMI: www.tsa.gov