NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A California man was arrested at JFK Airport on Tuesday after TSA officers discovered a loaded gun among his carry-on items, the TSA said Wednesday.
The 9mm handgun was loaded with eight bullets, including one in the chamber.
"When the TSA officers spotted the gun, they contacted the Port Authority Police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and detained the man for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges," the TSA said in a statement. "The man, who was traveling with a toddler, told officials that he took his friend's carry-on bag by mistake. Police took care of the child during the incident."
It marked the fifth gun that TSA officers have detected at JFK security checkpoints so far this year – more than double the two firearms that were discovered at the airport in 2018.
Passengers are permitted to travel domestically with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared to the airline. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by country, state and locality.
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