TSA Officers Discover Guns in Carry-on Luggage at Idaho Airports

BOISE, Idaho (KLIX) – Officers with the Transportation Security Administration discovered several guns at Idaho airports recently during routine baggage checks.

Two guns were discovered Sunday at the Boise Airport, and another one at the same airport last Wednesday. A gun also was discovered in luggage on Saturday at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport. All of the guns were found in carry-on bags, according to TSA.

Travelers can transport firearms through checked baggage provided the traveler declares them to the airline during the ticket counter check-in process, but they are forbidden in carry-on luggage.

TSA’s Federal Security Director for Idaho Andy Coose said in a prepared statement:

I want to send out a sincere request to all gun owners in Idaho who are considering traveling by air: Please check your luggage with the airlines and all your belongings before coming to the airport to ensure you do not have a weapon with you! There are legal and acceptable ways to take a firearm on a plane in checked luggage.

However, we are too often seeing people with guns in carryon luggage. This poses a significant safety hazard to passengers, airline employees and others. It can also result in stiff financial penalties, fines or even prosecution. So please be careful and check all your stuff before you head to the airport to make sure there are no guns on your person or in your accessible property.

The guns found Sunday at the Boise Airport were listed as an unloaded .22 caliber North American Arms Magnum in the carry-on bag of a male passenger ticketed for travel to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; and a loaded Ruger .380 semi-automatic pistol, which was detected in the carry-on of a female passenger headed to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.

The gun discovered Saturday at IDA was a loaded Ruger 9 mm pistol in the carry-on bag of a male passenger traveling to Salt Lake City International Airport, while the gun found Wednesday morning at Boise was a loaded Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 from a passenger who was ticketed for travel to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif.

TSA says not only is it illegal to carry weapons of any kind in carry-on luggage, it is an act that can cause hefty fines.

In addition to facing local or state criminal charges, TSA reserves the right to levy a civil penalty of up to $7,500 for bringing a dangerous weapon like a firearm to the checkpoint. Each penalty is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

For travelers transporting guns via checked baggage, TSA says all firearms must be unloaded and stored in a locked, hard-sided container. It also urges passengers to contact their airline for specific firearm and ammunition policies and to check local laws related to the carrying and transport of firearms.