INDIANAPOLIS — Officers with the Transportation Security Administration on Wednesday stopped two loaded handguns in separate and unrelated incidents.
According to a report from TSA, officers detected the first gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday. Just before 3 p.m., officers found another gun in the same checkpoint and lane.
During both incidents, the Indiana Airport Authority police were alerted, responded to the checkpoint and confiscated the guns.
The individuals who brought the weapons — one from Upland and one from Fishers — face stuff federal civil penalties for bringing their firearms to an airport security checkpoint, according to TSA.
"Individuals who want to fly with their firearms are permitted to do so as long as they follow the regulations for transporting their weapon," Aaron Batt, TSA's Federal Security Director for Indiana, said. "If you want to travel with your firearm, the first thing you should do is make sure it is unloaded. Then pack it in a hard-sided case and lock the case. Upon arriving at the airport, take the case to the airline check-in counter and declare that you want to fly with it. The airline will make sure it is stored securely in the underbelly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight."
A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on aggravating circumstances, according to the TSA.
So far, four firearms have been discovered by TSA officers at the Indianapolis International Airport in 2021.
