3rd gun this month confiscated at Newark Airport; Philly man arrested

✈ A gun was found at a TSA checkpoint at Newark Airport on Monday

✈ It's the third gun found in a month at the airport

✈ Guns are not allowed in carry-on bags

NEWARK — A Philadelphia man was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday after Transportation Security Administration officers found him with a gun when he entered a security checkpoint at Terminal A.

The .40 caliber handgun was loaded with four bullets, TSA officials said. Port Authority police confiscated the weapon and ammunition and arrested the man.

This is the third gun detected by TSA officers at the airport this month, and the 10th so far this year. In 2024, TSA officers stopped 21 guns at Newark Airport’s checkpoints.

“It’s inexcusable for someone to bring a loaded gun to a security checkpoint. Responsible gun owners know where their firearm is at all times, and knowing that it cannot be carried into the cabin of an airplane,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey.

The man faces a stiff federal financial penalty, and Carter said he hopes others will learn from his mistake.

The federal penalty for bringing a weapon through a TSA checkpoint can cost as much as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.

If a traveler caught with a firearm is a member of TSA PreCheck, that traveler will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and firearms parts with them at a checkpoint. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though someone may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto a plane.

Guns, however, can be taken on a flight in a checked bag, but only if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case, and declared to the airline.

If you’re not sure what items are permitted in carry-on baggage or checked baggage at the airport, check out this feature on the TSA website.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom