Airport Gun Holder: I Forgot I Had a Loaded Gun

Pa. man says he accidentally attempted to carry a gun into Philly International Airport

On the same day a man allegedly tried to bring explosives onto an airplane, police arrested another man at Philadelphia International Airport.

Police arrested Matthew Kesner, 42, of Phoenixville, Pa. after he allegedly tried to bring a loaded, .25-caliber handgun through an airport security checkpoint in his carry-on bag.

Kesner, who was released Friday afternoon, says the whole thing was a misunderstanding.

"I went to the airport," Kesner said. "I have a license to carry a gun. Unfortunately I forget I had a gun in the bag that I was carrying with me. It simply was a misunderstanding and everything got straightened out."

He was taken into custody Thursday night around 7 p.m. without incident in Terminal F of the airport.

Kesner said he was released on a citation for disorderly conduct and that the gun was loaded because he normally leaves it loaded.

"It’s never a smart idea to bring a gun to the airport, you that in this day and age that’s not the thing to do," he said upon his release.

Kesner says he is lucky to not face further penalties.

Federal prosecutors tell NBC10 that he won't face any federal charges unlike the other man who made news after he was stopped by security Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, police arrested 29-year-old Joseph Picklo of Luzerne County, Pa. Picklo tried to bring a bag containing homemade M-80s and flash powder onto an airplane, according to investigators. He also had a test tube filled with another powdery substance with a wick, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10.

Philadelphia Police arrested Picklo and then turned him over to federal custody. He faces a federal charge that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
 

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