Two guns in four days have been stopped by TSA security at Pittsburgh International Airport.
Transportation Security Administration officers stopped gun on Friday and Monday.
On Friday an Ohio man was stopped with a .38 caliber pistol with five bullets. On Monday, a man was caught with a loaded .380 handgun with seven bullets.
That brings the total number of guns stopped by security at PIT to 11 so far in 2024.
The number of guns that have been stopped by security at airports nationwide has been on the increase.
“Firearms are not permitted to be carried through security checkpoints and onto planes, “said Karen Keys-Turner, Federal Security Director for the airport. “It does not matter if the firearm is loaded or unloaded. The strict regulation on ‘no firearms’ is for security and safety purposes. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times and they know not to bring them to an airport security checkpoint. I commend the TSA officers who intercepted these deadly weapons.”
The cost of brining a firearm to a TSA checkpoint can reach $15,000.
Travelers can pack a gun in their checked baggage. It has to be unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case and be declared at drop-off.
Last year, a record 44 guns were stopped by security at Pittsburgh International Airport.