An unidentified man was arrested by police on Thanksgiving Day after he was discovered with a loaded gun in his carry-on baggage at Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport in New Jersey.
The person, who was from Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was carrying a 9mm handgun, loaded with 13 bullets, together with one within the chamber, in accordance to a press launch Friday from the Transportation Safety Administration. His title and the costs he faces weren't instantly launched.
Thomas Carter, TSA federal safety director for New Jersey, stated that arrest confirmed the vigilance of TSA officers.
"Getting caught with and arrested for carrying a loaded gun at our airport means this particular person had a reasonably dangerous Thanksgiving," he stated within the group's press launch. "Our TSA officers are on the job this busy vacation weekend in order that others can attain their locations safely and spend the vacation with their household and associates. Our crew is staying vigilant and centered on the mission to assist be sure that prohibited gadgets should not carried onto a flight."
Along with his arrest, the person faces a "stiff federal monetary civil penalty that might run into hundreds of dollars," Carter stated.
Whereas vacationers are allowed to fly with firearms, there are strict TSA guidelines for doing so. They should be unloaded and positioned in a safe container in checked baggage. Airways can also have their very own necessities. Firearm possession legal guidelines additionally fluctuate by state and locality. The TSA recommends passengers "do their homework" to keep away from fines or different penalties.
The suspect is the third passenger to have been arrested this month at Newark airport for carrying a gun in "accessible property." It is the 14th such case on the airport in 2022.
In 2021, TSA officers detected 5,972 weapons at safety checkpoints nationwide. About 86% of the weapons have been loaded.