A Putnam
County woman had a loaded gun tucked
away in her carry-on bag Wednesday morning at Yeager
Airport in Charleston
The gun was confiscated by airport
police but the Scott Depot woman was not arrested.
“She had a concealed carry permit,
she keeps her weapon in her purse, she had an early flight. She forgot to take
it out,” Yeager Airport Director Richard Atkinson said.
TSA officials detected the gun with
an X-ray machine, identifying it as a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun
loaded with seven rounds, including one in the chamber.
After interviews with the woman,
authorities determined that there was no crime because the incident was
unintentional.
However, those who are caught with
guns at TSA checkpoints face civil fines.
“It’s an expensive oops,” Atkinson
said. “The average standard fine, if it’s handled civilly by the TSA, is around
$1,500. Plus, they usually confiscate the weapon also.”
The woman missed her flight to Atlanta
Gun owners can travel with weapons
if they bring them through the proper channels.
“You just need to have it in a
checked bag and it needs to be properly packed and declared,” Atkinson said.
“Airlines are very helpful on their websites and with help on how to do that.”
The TSA confiscating firearms is
not uncommon, according to Atkinson. Currently, the organization is on pace to
encounter 2,100 at checkpoints across the country.
