3rd gun in 2 days found at Pittsburgh International Airport

Transportation Security Administration officers found another gun in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport.

A Pittsburgh man tried taking a loaded handgun through a security checkpoint at the airport Tuesday, a day after TSA officers stopped two other travelers with handguns, according to TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

The .40 caliber handgun was loaded with 11 bullets, including one in the chamber.

TSA contacted the Allegheny County Police Department, which responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the handgun and detained the man for questioning. Officials didn’t identify him.

On Monday, a West Virginia woman was caught with a loaded 9mm handgun in her carry-on, Farbstein said. Later that afternoon, TSA officers found a .22-caliber revolver in a California man’s carry-on bag. The revolver was not loaded.

Both passengers were detained, questioned by Allegheny County police and cited for weapons violations.

The gun found Tuesday was the 12th that has been stopped at the Pittsburgh airport so far this year. In 2018, TSA officers caught 34 firearms at the checkpoint, Farbstein said. That was up from the 32 found in 2017.

Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with concealed carry permits are not allowed to bring guns past TSA checkpoints, Farbstein said.

TSA has the authority to access civil penalties of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. Find a complete list of penalties here.

For details on how to properly travel with a firearm, visit the TSA website.