5th Gun This Month Seized At Pittsburgh International Airport

PITTSBURGH, PA –Transportation Security Administration officers at Pittsburgh International Airport intercepted a gun from a man from Portage, PA who was going through the security checkpoint on Monday.

It was the fifth firearm that TSA officers have detected so far this month and the eighth so far this year.

“I commend our officers for staying vigilant and focusing on the mission,” Gerardo Spero, TSA’s federal security director for Pennsylvania, said in a statement.

“Our team has intercepted five guns at our checkpoints so far this month. It is extremely concerning that so many individuals are coming to our checkpoints with their loaded guns. This was a .380 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets. Carrying a gun to a checkpoint is a security threat because we don’t know the intent of the individual with the gun."

The TSA can 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.