Charleston, WV (WOAY) – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers discovered a gun at an airport security checkpoint.
According to a TSA media release, on Thursday, March 20, police cited a local woman for having an unloaded, .38 caliber handgun at West Virginia International Yeager Airport.
TSA officers called the police to take possession of the weapon and to take the woman for questioning. This is the first firearm that TSA officers have intercepted at the checkpoint so far this year. TSA officers detected six guns in 2024.
“We have a procedure in place for properly packing a firearm for a flight, and bringing a gun to a checkpoint is certainly not the proper procedure,” said John Allen, TSA’s Federal Security Director for West Virginia. “Guns need to be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided case and taken to your airline check-in counter so that it is transported in the underbelly of the aircraft. This way nobody has access to it during the flight. The man now faces a federal civil financial penalty for bringing his gun to the checkpoint.”
Taking a gun through an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a weapon into a checkpoint can reach up to $15,000, depending on the specific weapon and the circumstances.
Gun possession laws vary by state and locality. Passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local gun laws. Travelers should also contact their airline to learn additional requirements for traveling with guns and ammunition.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
