We are just 13 days in to 2023, and already this year, three different people have attempted to carry firearms through security checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport.
The most recent incident came Thursday, when an Annapolis, Md. man attempted to carry a loaded .40 caliber handgun through a checkpoint, the TSA said. Philadelphia police were contacted and the man was arrested.
The TSA also says that the matter will be followed with a federal financial civil penalty, which could be as high as $15,000. Local laws and airline rules can further limit how gun owners travel with their firearms.
Firearms are not allowed in carry-on luggage and are not allowed to be carried through security checkpoints. Guns packed in checked luggage must be unloaded, placed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Concealed carry permits do not create an exception to these rules.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
"Hopefully this incident serves as a reminder to other firearm owners about the proper way to transport their firearm because we have seen too many guns showing up at our security checkpoints already this year," said Gerardo Spero, the TSA's head of security at PHL.
A record-number of guns were stopped at Philly International Airport checkpoints in 2022, according to the TSA.