A Connellsville man told federal security officers he forgot he had a loaded .380-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag Tuesday when he was stopped at a Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint.
Transportation Security Administration officers spotted the gun on the monitor of an X-ray machine.
The gun was confiscated, but the man won’t be charged by Allegheny County police, Inspector Kenneth Ruckel said.
This is the ninth gun found by the TSA this year. In 2019, there were 35 guns found, one more than the 2018 total of 34 guns, according to TSA records.
Nationally, TSA found 4,432 firearms in 2019, an average of 12 per day.
Although criminal charges weren’t filed, the TSA can assess civil penalties. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100, according to the TSA.
The agency provides guidelines for how to legally travel with a firearm on its website. For details, click here.
