A loaded handgun was discovered by TSA agents at Omaha's Eppley Airfield.
Airport officials say as a North Carolina man went through a checkpoint the loaded .380 caliber handgun and an additional magazine with six bullets were found. They say Omaha Airport security was contacted and the gun was confiscated. The man was detained and questioned before he was allowed to catch his flight.
“Despite the ongoing pandemic, our TSA officers remain laser focused on ensuring a secure flight for passengers and crew members while at the same time mitigating health risks,” said Michael Fowler, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Nebraska. “Guns at checkpoints are never a good thing, and with the current situation it’s even more serious. There are enough risks at a checkpoint and bringing a loaded gun is an accident waiting to happen. It is dangerous to our officers and other travelers.”
According to a media release, so far this year eight guns have been caught at an Eppley Airfield checkpoint. In 2019, fifteen guns were confiscated and in 2018, there were seventeen.
The release states, “Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.”