2nd Gun This Week Seized At Pittsburgh Airport

PITTSBURGH –Transportation Security Administration officers at Pittsburgh International Airport intercepted a 9mm handgun loaded with eight bullets at the security checkpoint Wednesday, two days after one was detected on Monday. The gun belonged to a traveler from Steubenville, Ohio.

It marked the 42nd firearm that TSA officers have intercepted at the airport so far this year. The record for guns seized at the airport in a single year is 44 and was set just last year.

“This individual told us that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him, which is absolutely unforgivable,” Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Pennsylvania, said in a release.

“Travelers who own firearms need to know where they are at all times. That’s a vital part of being a responsible gun owner. Now this individual faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty that could cost him thousands of dollars. An expensive mistake on his part.”

When TSA officers detected the firearm, the checkpoint lane came to a halt until the police responded and removed the carry-on bag from the X-ray machine. Police confiscated the firearm as other travelers in line were forced to wait until the incident was cleared, delaying them from passing through the checkpoint and getting to their gate.