Editor’s note: The video above previously aired in a past newscast.
NEW YORK (PIX11) – A Virginia man was arrested after attempting to transport a gun in his carry-on bag while going through the security checkpoint at JFK International Airport, a Transportation Security Administration official announced on Tuesday.
TSA agents were alerted the man had a 9mm gun after an X-ray alerted personnel to the gun in his carry-on luggage. Agents then notified Port Authority Police, who arrested the man.
“Bringing an illegal item to the checkpoint slows down the checkpoint line,” explained John Essig, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times, and they know not to bring them to a security checkpoint.”
Passengers can travel with firearms in checked baggage if unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Essig also said the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.
The man also faces a $15,000 fine in addition to being arrested.
This is the fourth firearm that TSA officers have detected at airport checkpoints this year.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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