From the link in OP's post.
“It’s a personnel matter,” said McCarthy.
Is it a personnel matter or a personal matter? When TSA makes a dog and pony show out of every item they find I think incidents such as this need a bit more exposure than hiding behind the curtain of privacy. This person is clearly not to be trusted as would a passenger who accidentally presented for screening with a similar item.
People traveling with firearms in their carry-on luggage typically face penalties after the weapons are detected at security checkpoints. Fines for firearms range from $500 to $2,000, according to TSA’s website.
From the TSA Blog:
Travelers bringing firearms to the checkpoint can be arrested and fined up to $11,000.
Has TSA been reporting the amount of potential fines incorrectly or did the author of the article just get it wrong? This is what I found for firearms discovered at a Passenger Screening Checkpoint.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement
Loaded firearms (or unloaded firearms with accessible ammunition)
$3,920 - $9,800
+ criminal referral
Looks like the article and TSA Blog both have it wrong.