Woman arrested after TSA intercepts her with loaded gun

NEW YORK - A Florida woman was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers intercepted a handgun tucked into the woman's purse at a security checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport on Monday, September 2.

When the purse was identified by TSA as possibly containing a firearm, it was automatically diverted to a different conveyor belt to be held for law enforcement to remove and inspect. When the .32 caliber handgun was removed from the purse, it was determined to be loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber.

The woman told officials that her husband has a concealed carry permit in another state and that he drove to New York and later placed the gun in her purse without her knowledge.

The police arrested the woman and charged her with weapons violations. In addition to being arrested, the woman also faces a stiff financial civil penalty. Civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.

It was the eighth firearm that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoints so far this year.

"Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags, which is why we strongly advise travelers to pack their own bags to ensure that they have no prohibited or illegal items inside," said Robert Duffy, TSA's Federal Security Director for the airport. "It does not matter to us if someone has a concealed carry permit because regardless of that fact, it is never permissible to carry a firearm into the cabin of a plane. Here we are just days away from the 23rd anniversary marking the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on our nation. It should be obvious to everyone that weapons are not allowed through our security checkpoints."

TSA firearms catches at LaGuardia Airport checkpoints, 2018 to 2024

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

Bringing a gun to 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 gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and individuals who want to travel with their gun should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms 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).