This handgun was detected in a traveler’s carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport on Jan. 2. (TSA photo)
Information provided by Transportation Security Administration

PITTSBURGH –Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport detected a loaded handgun inside an Ohio woman’s make-up bag, which was tucked inside a backpack that she carried to the security checkpoint on Monday, Jan. 2. The loaded .380 caliber handgun was loaded with six bullets and was detected when the backpack entered the checkpoint X-ray machine.

When the gun was spotted, TSA officers notified the Allegheny County Police, who confiscated the gun. The woman told officials that she did not realize that she had her gun with her and thought that the gun was at home.

When a traveler brings a gun to the airport checkpoint, the U.S. States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania requests local county sheriffs to rescind a resident’s firearm concealed carry license due to negligence.

“Forgetting that you are carrying a loaded handgun is irresponsible,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “If you own a firearm, you need to take responsibility for knowing where it is at all times. This individual has gotten off to a very poor start to the new year. Even if someone has a permit to carry, they still are not permitted to bring a gun onto a flight. This woman now faces a stiff financial civil penalty—a penalty that was recently increased to up to $15,000 for a weapons violation at an airport.”