Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a man from carrying a loaded firearm onto an airplane at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) Monday, April 11, 2022.
During security screening in Terminal A on Monday around 5 p.m., TSA officers detected a firearm and two magazines in the man’s carry-on bag. TSA officers immediately alerted the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) who responded and discovered the firearm was loaded and each magazine contained 9 rounds. During questioning MSP discovered the New Hampshire man did not have a firearms permit. They then confiscated the firearm and informed him he would be receiving a citation in the mail. He was then cleared to continue onto Tampa International Airport.
During security screening on April 8, around 4:20 p.m., in Terminal E, TSA officers detected a firearm and two magazines in a man’s carry-on bag. TSA officers immediately alerted MSP, who responded and discovered the firearm was loaded. The New Hampshire man who had a firearms permit said he was shocked the firearm was in his bag. MSP escorted him out of the terminal where he secured the firearm.
“As the summer travel period approaches, we ask travelers to take an extra minute or two to get a good look inside their carry-on bags to ensure that they have no prohibited — or illegal — items,” said Bob Allison, TSA’s federal security director for Massachusetts. “Carelessly traveling with a loaded firearm is a public safety concern, considering it could accidentally be discharged during a search. I strongly urge all gun owners to ensure they know where their firearm is before traveling to the airport.”
Monday’s gun catch was the seventh by TSA officers at a BOS security checkpoint this year. TSA detected 18 firearms at BOS security checkpoints in 2021.
There have been nine firearm detections at New England security checkpoints in 2022.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded gun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
