PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — TSA officers at Philadelphia International Airport seized a loaded gun from a woman’s carry-on bag Tuesday morning.
The weapon — a 9-millimeter handgun with nine bullets, including one in the chamber — was spotted in the security checkpoint X-ray.
Philadelphia police charged the woman and confiscated the gun.
TSA officials said firearms are allowed in checked luggage but must be packed properly and safely.
The airport’s federal security director of TSA said they’re seeing a notable increase in the number of guns and ammunition being brought into checkpoints. So far this year, officials caught 18 firearms at PHL, compared to 20 guns in all of 2019.
Of the guns seized by TSA agents nationwide last year, more than 80% were loaded.