A loaded gun was found Monday in a carry-on bag at Bangor International Airport.
The .22-caliber handgun and eight bullets was found in a male passenger’s bag, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
“When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm it can slow or shut down security screening until the police resolve the incident,” said Oscar De Los Reyes, the TSA’s federal security director for Maine. “Carelessly traveling with a loaded firearm is a serious public safety concern, considering it could be accidentally discharged during a search.”
It was the first handgun found at a Maine airport checkpoint so far in 2024 and the fifth across New England.
Last year, four guns were found in luggage at Bangor International Airport, compared with three in 2022 and one in 2021, according to the TSA. By comparison, nine guns were found in luggage at Portland International Jetport last year, compared with three in 2022 and four in 2021.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked and packed separately from ammunition. Anyone who brings an undeclared firearm through a checkpoint can face criminal charges and civil penalties up to $15,000, even if the traveler has a concealed carry permit, according to the TSA. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,000.
