The TSA prevented a loaded handgun from being brought onto a plane over the weekend at Syracuse-Hancock International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration says, on Saturday, a Texas man was found with a .40 caliber handgun loaded with 11 bullets after passing through an X-Ray machine at the airport.
The firearm was confiscated at a security checkpoint.
The traveler told officials he drove to New York from Texas and forgot he had the gun with him when he arrived for his flight.
The Texan faces a civil penalty which could reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.
This is the second time this year a gun has been seized from the airport.
“This was a great catch on the part of our TSA officers and they should be commended for their vigilance in ensuring that nobody passes the checkpoint with a prohibited or illegal item,” said Bart R. Johnson TSA’s Federal Security Director for 13 airports in Upstate New York. “This marks the second time so far this year that the TSA officers have prevented a loaded gun from being carried onto a flight. When dangerous items are presented in the screening checkpoint, we have serious safety and security concerns for all in the area, and the resolution disrupts the process for the passengers waiting behind the offender. Now this individual faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty.”
