Two Men Cited For Loaded Guns At Charlotte TSA Checkpoints; Increased Number Of Handguns Confiscated This Year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two men were arrested with loaded hand guns at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Transportation Security Administration checkpoints this week, bringing the total number of firearms seized this year to 60.

TSA officials say 42 firearms were caught at checkpoints in 2015 and 54 were discovered in 2016.

On the morning of Tuesday, November 28th, a Charlotte, North Carolina, man was stopped with a gun when a TSA officer at the x-ray monitor saw the loaded .45 caliber gun in the man’s bag.  Later that day, a man from Rockwell, North Carolina was caught with his gun when the TSA officer noticed a loaded 9 mm gun in his carry-on.  The incidents are not related, according to officials.

TSA officials notified the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in both situations. CMPD Officers responded to the checkpoints, confiscated the guns, and cited each individual with a weapons charge. Each man claimed he forgot he was in possession of a loaded gun.

“If someone owns a firearm, they should know where it is at all times,” said TSA’s North Carolina Federal Security Director Kevin Frederick. “The TSA officers here at Charlotte are good at their jobs, as evidenced by these gun catches. However, we would rather that people pack their guns properly for travel or leave them home.”

Firearms, as well as firearm parts and ammunition, are not permitted in carry-on bags, but can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded and declared to the airline.

Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA of up to $12,000.