TSA, Police 'concerned' over increase in firearms

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Transportation Security Administration says they are “highly concerned” astir the caller summation successful firearms recovered astatine the information checkpoint astatine Pittsburgh International Airport.

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Calling it an easy preventable “gun epidemic,” the TSA and section instrumentality enforcement addressed their concerns astatine a quality league connected Wednesday morning.

With 3 months near successful the year, the TSA says it has already caught 27 firearms astatine the information checkpoint truthful acold this year. Last week, 5 guns successful six days were found.

Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, says radical often accidental they forgot they had loaded guns with them.

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Allegheny County Police says radical who bring guns to checkpoints whitethorn get their concealed transportation permits revoked.

“After TSA officers find guns, we respond and behaviour an investigation. We are often told by the passenger, ‘I didn’t cognize it was successful my bag,’ oregon ‘I forgot it was successful there.’ We volition beryllium requesting that the region sheriff’s bureau revoke concealed transportation permits connected the ground of irresponsible weapon ownership,” said Kenneth Ruckel, the Allegheny County Police Department inspector and part commandant astatine the airport.

Consequences could besides beryllium costly. The good for violations starts astatine $3,000 and tin tally up to astir $14,000.

“Responsible weapon owners cognize wherever their guns are astatine each times and they cognize the due mode to transport a handgun to their destination,” said Keys-Turner.

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Officials accidental determination is 1 ineligible mode to instrumentality your weapon with you erstwhile you fly: battalion it unloaded and locked successful a hard-sided lawsuit and declared astatine an airdrome summons counter.