INDIANAPOLIS — Officers with the Transportation Security Administration at Indianapolis International Airport have reported that 70 firearms have been discovered at security checkpoints throughout 2023, surpassing 2022’s total.
According to a news release from the TSA, three firearms were discovered at checkpoints last week, which added to 2023’s total. Officials said that loaded firearms were discovered on Sept. 13 and in two separate incidents on Sept. 14.
Officials said last year, 68 firearms were stopped at checkpoints at the Indianapolis airport.
“When someone shows up with a firearm at the checkpoint the conveyor belt is stopped until the police arrive and can remove the carry-on bag from the X-ray machine to safely secure the weapon,” Indiana TSA Federal Security Director Aaron Batt said in the release. “Bringing a firearm to a security checkpoint not only slows down the individuals in that lane, but it slows everyone in line behind them down and is a security and safety concern. Guns should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage.”
Officials said the penalty amount for a firearm violation can reach as high as $14,950. The release said that TSA will revoke TSA PreCheck® eligibility for at least five years for passengers caught with a firearm in their possession.
According to the release, passengers are permitted to travel with firarms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter. Officials said that firearm possession laws vary by state. For more information on how travelers can properly travel with a firearm, visit the TSA website.
