TSA security officers found a loaded handgun in a carry-on back at Eppley Airfield this morning.
The .380 Smith & Wesson handgun loaded with six rounds was found in the bag during x-ray screening at the checkpoint. TSA alerted Omaha Airport Authority Police who seized the gun and interviewed the passenger, who was allowed to rebook a flight.
This is the second gun TSA officers at Eppley have found at the security checkpoint this year. A total of 12 were found in 2016.
"Firearms are not allowed in carry-on bags," said TSA Federal Security Director Michael Fowler. "If you want to travel with a firearm, you can only take it in a checked bag that is declared to the airline at the ticket counter and properly packed in a locked, hard-sided container." Firearm parts, ammunition, and realistic replicas also are not allowed through security checkpoints, but can be transported in checked bags.
Passengers who brings a gun to a checkpoint can be fined up to $11,000. The average penalty for a loaded firearm is $3,000, and the average for an unloaded one is $1,500. Any determination about a criminal charge is up to police.
