(RepublicanPress.org) – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) provides a list of prohibited and restricted items airplane travelers can bring on the aircraft. Those items include alcoholic beverages, ammunition, flammables, an array of sharp objects, and firearms. The penalties for breaking the rules can range from fines all the way to arrest, as one person in West Virginia recently discovered.
On November 14, TSA announced that its officers at Raleigh County Memorial Airport stopped a Florida man from boarding his flight yesterday because he was carrying a loaded .380 caliber handgun. Security discovered the man was packing when he passed through an X-ray machine at a checkpoint in the airport. The TSA officer notified the sheriff’s department, who arrived at the scene and ordered the man to take his gun back to his car. Still, the individual faces fines for bringing the weapon inside the airport — up to $15,000.
Florida man stopped by TSA at West Virginia airport for attempting to bring loaded gun on plane https://t.co/mtBHuJzZyN
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 15, 2023
TSA’s federal security director for West Virginia, John Allen, said the rule prohibiting guns on planes had been in place long before TSA’s inception. Therefore, he reasoned there was no reason for anyone to “bring a gun to the checkpoint.” According to the TSA website, ammunition and guns are allowed in checked bags as long as travelers follow the special instructions provided. However, neither firearms nor ammunition are allowed in carry ons or on planes at all.
TSA Press Secretary Carter Langston told Fox News Digital that people carrying firearms inside airports is becoming a continual issue. He said many travelers forget they have their guns with them when they arrive. Langston said the TSA had stopped more than 1,800 firearms at checkpoints in October alone, and that number would likely exceed 6,500 by the end of 2023.
It’s unclear if the Florida man will face penalties for the incident. TSA encourages all passengers to check the rules before coming to the airport.
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