TSA continued to prevent travelers from bringing firearms onto PA flights

Jan. 15—WILKES-BARRE — Transportation Security Administration officers this week said the agency continued to intercept firearms at Pennsylvania airport security checkpoints last year.

TSA officers stopped 97 handguns at Pennsylvania airport security checkpoints in 2024 — a slight decrease from the 103 detected in 2023.

In 2024, TSA at the Pittsburgh International Airport detected 42 handguns, with Philadelphia International Airport coming in second with 40 firearms caught.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport tied for third in the state with Harrisburg International Airport, each having detected 4 firearms in 2024. Lehigh Valley International Airport ranked fourth, with three guns.

Across the country, the agency intercepted 6,678 firearms at airport checkpoints last year.

“Our officers across the state are to be commended for their continued vigilance in ensuring that no prohibited or illegal items are carried onto a flight,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s federal security director for Pennsylvania. “It was good to see fewer people bringing their guns to our checkpoints in 2024, however it continued to be disappointing to see individuals who were still bringing their firearms to our security checkpoints.

Spero said when stopped by our officers, the majority of people claim that they forgot that they had their gun with them.

“It is careless and irresponsible to not know where your gun is,” Spero said. “Responsible gun owners know where their gun is at all times. And they know not to bring it to an airport checkpoint.”

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,678 firearms at airport checkpoints in 2024.

In 2023, 6,737 firearms were intercepted at airport checkpoints.

It was the first annual decrease in firearms detected at checkpoints other than in 2020, when COVID saw a sizable decrease in the number of passengers who flew.

Of the guns caught in 2024, approximately 94% were loaded. Firearms were caught at 277 airport checkpoints nationwide.

One week before Christmas 2024, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Thursday intercepted a 9mm handgun loaded with 11 bullets at the airport checkpoint.

It was the fourth firearm that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoint last year.

The weapon was caught as the man, a resident of Orangeville, entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the firearm among his carry-on items.

TSA officials notified the police, who confiscated the gun…