Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - A Lancaster man faces a stiff fine after a TSA officer found a loaded gun in his carry-on at the checkpoint at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The TSA says the .45 caliber gun was loaded with 10 bullets, including one in the chamber. Alongside the gun was an additional magazine containing 10 additional bullets. It was the sixth handgun the security team has detected at the airport's checkpoint so far this year.
The TSA says the gun was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint, when an officer was operating the X-ray unit at the checkpoint when they detected what appeared to be a firearm. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police were notified and responded. Upon arrival, the passenger admitted to law enforcement that there was a firearm in his bag and that it was loaded. The bag was opened at the NFTA Police Department where the loaded firearm and ammunition were removed. The traveler had a valid New York State pistol permit and voluntarily surrendered the firearm to police, who also cited the man on a weapons charge.
Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and now the man faces a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
"I would like to acknowledge my appreciation to the TSA officers who detected the firearm at the checkpoint and also recognize the quick response of law enforcement," said Bart R. Johnson, TSA's Federal Security Director for Upstate New York. "As a result, a deadly weapon was prevented from getting onto an airplane."
"I would also like to express my disappointment in a licensed and trained New York State pistol permit holder who did not have the self-awareness of where his handgun was. Instead, he entered an active security checkpoint with a loaded handgun and created a potentially dangerous situation through his own actions," Johnson added.
Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded then packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
