What Happens When You Bring a Gun to a Checkpoint? Surprisingly Little

Newly uploaded bodycam video from an incident in Wisconsin shows the aftermath of one such incident, where the flyer was able to get away without as much as a citation.

Flyer Forgets About Gun in Carry-On Bag, Allowed to Return it to Wife Without Citation

The incident happened at a Transportation Security Administration Screening Point at La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. Body camera footage from the day was uploaded to the YouTube channel Code Blue Cam.

In the video, a senior TSA official and the airport operations manager met the responding La Crosse Police officer at the airport to explain they found a loaded weapon at the checkpoint. Under TSA policy, the agents could not retrieve the bag in question, and had to wait for the assistance of a sworn law enforcement officer.

The bag and weapon belonged to an unidentified flyer, who was flying to attend a conference as a speaker. In speaking to the passenger, he identified himself as a retired U.S. Army officer and concealed carry permit holder, who forgot the gun was in his bag.

After the weapon was recovered and cleared in a back room, the TSA officer deferred filing criminal charges to the police officer and the City of La Crosse. When he asked about penalties from the Federal Aviation Administration, the TSA agent said they would take the flyer’s information and file a report, which would be later reviewed for civil penalties.

The senior TSA official noted that their only concern was that the gun did not go on the aircraft. The responding officer checked with the watch supervisor, who agreed no charges would be filed based on the man’s demeanor and apologetic nature. The weapon was ultimately returned to his wife, who was waiting on the flyer, and he was allowed to catch his flight to Dallas.

According to a TSA press release, it was the first weapon discovered at the airport during the year. Although the press release noted the TSA could impose civil penalties of up to $13,910 per violation, it is unclear if the flyer faced any fines for the incident.

Under Second Year of Pandemic, TSA Finds Record Number of Guns in Carry-On Bags

Even though air travel demand is recovering slowly, the problem of flyers bringing guns in their carry-on bags remains a major problem. In 2021, the TSA discovered 5,972 guns at checkpoints across the United States, breaking the previous record set in 2019 of 4,239 recovered firearms.