Record 36th gun found at Pittsburgh airport checkpoint; Uniontown man arrested

Allegheny County Police arrested a Uniontown man after he was stopped Tuesday with an illegal gun at the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport.

It was the 36th gun seized this year at the airport and breaks the annual record for the number of guns found in carry-on bags, which was set in 2019 when 35 guns were confiscated, according to authorities.

Domonique Hickenbottom, 29, was detained after a loaded Springfield 9 mm pistol was detected in his carry-on bag at around 6:30 p.m., police said.

Police charged Hickenbottom with felony counts of illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license, which are both felonies, according to authorities.

On Saturday the all-time record for guns confiscated from boarding passengers was tied when a Harrison Township man was stopped with a .38-caliber handgun that was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber.

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Police said they also notified the FBI about the gun that was found.

Passengers who bring a firearm into an airport security checkpoint can face federal fines from the Transportation Security Administration of up to $10,000. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $13,910.