Traveler caught with loaded gun tells TSA her husband put it in purse, officials say
A woman told security officials that she was unaware of the loaded gun stashed inside her purse after it was discovered at a New York airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The traveler from Florida said her husband put the .32 caliber handgun in her bag without her knowing when he visited New York at some point, the TSA said in a Sept. 3 news release. She told authorities that her husband had a concealed carry permit from another state, according to the agency.
When law enforcement inspected the gun at a security checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport in Queens on Sept. 2, they found it had seven bullets, according to officials. One bullet was inside the weapon’s chamber.
The woman was arrested on a weapons violation charge, the TSA said. It wasn’t specified whether she was traveling with anyone.
“Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags, which is why we strongly advise travelers to pack their own bags to ensure that they have no prohibited or illegal items inside,” Robert Duffy, TSA’s federal security director for LaGuardia, said in a statement. “It does not matter to us if someone has a concealed carry permit because regardless of that fact, it is never permissible to carry a firearm into the cabin of a plane.”
The woman is also facing a civil penalty that can cost her up to $15,000, the TSA said.
Travelers are allowed to store unloaded firearms inside a hard-sided locked case in checked luggage before a flight, according to the agency.
This story was originally published September 3, 2024 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Traveler caught with loaded gun tells TSA her husband put it in purse, officials say."
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