The Transportation Security Administration reported two intercepted firearms at Lehigh Valley International Airport within the past week. According to a press release, the incidents were only two days apart.
The first incident took place on Friday, June 14, when a man from Jim Thorpe, PA, tried to pass through security with a 9mm handgun in his carry-on bag. The gun was loaded.
On Sunday, June 16, TSA officers stopped a man from Paupack, PA, when he was found with a .380 caliber handgun, which was also loaded and ready to be fired.
Both guns were detected using the airport security checkpoint X-ray system and local police were notified immediately, as TSA officers cannot confiscate guns.
Security officials at Philadelphia International Airport have also seen multiple firearms this year. The latest incident happened last week, when a man from Middletown, PA, had an antique gun confiscated.
In January, the TSA reported 6,737 firearms found during routine airport security checks in 2023, a significant increase from the approximately 6,500 detected in 2022. As of mid April of this year, the TSA had intercepted 1,500 firearms nationally in 2024, which means an average of 16.5 found per day.
Following the most recent incidents at LVIA, Karen Keys-Turner, the federal security director of TSA for the airport, says that responsible gun owners “know not to bring [firearms] on board a flight.”
Firearms can be transported on planes, but they must be unloaded and locked in a hard case. They must be declared with the airline and packed with luggage in the bottom of the plane.
Along with possible legal penalties, consequences for bringing weapons to airport checkpoints can include fines of up to $15,000.
