AVOCA, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Officers at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport intercepted a nine-millimeter loaded handgun on Friday.
Courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers found the gun with 11 bullets at the airport checkpoint during an X-ray of a carry-on bag that belonged to a Honesdale resident.
They will now face a fine.
The TSA says civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
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"Responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times, and they know not to bring them to a security checkpoint. Travelers who own firearms need to know that guns can't be carried into the cabin of a plane," said Gerardo Spero, TSA`s Federal Security Director for Pennsylvania and Delaware.
According to airport officials, it was the first firearm that TSA officers had detected at the airport checkpoint this year.
In 2024, the TSA team at AVP intercepted four guns.
