On Friday, TSA agents at Pittsburgh International Airport found a handgun along with a box of ammunition at the security checkpoint.
The Duquesne man had the .40 caliber handgun in his carry-on bag and was promptly arrested once officers were on the scene.
This was the fifth gun TSA has found through security checkpoints in an 8-day span.
"The recent uptick in the number of guns that people are bringing to the airport in their carry-on bags is inexcusable," said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA's Federal Security Director for the airport. "TSA has been in existence for 21 years and long before we were here, bringing a gun onto an airplane was prohibited, so this is nothing new."
This marks the 23rd total gun TSA has found this year, with each gun they find they have the right to issue a civic penalty of up to $13,900 to those that bring one to a checkpoint.
Travelers who are members of TSA PreCheck also run the risk on losing out on their PreCheck privileges.
Travelers are allowed to transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane with checked baggage.
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