Transportation Security Administration officers at the Boise Airport said they discovered two guns in two days during routine screenings of carry-on baggage.
A TSA officer found the first firearm -- a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver loaded with six rounds of ammunition -- at 4:45 a.m. Sunday, according to a TSA news release. The gun was in the carry-on bag of a male passenger ticketed for travel to the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.
“The second gun -- a 9 mm Smith & Wesson M&P firearm loaded with seven rounds of ammunition -- was discovered Monday around 8:20 a.m. It was found in the carry-on bag of a female passenger traveling to the Denver International Airport,” said TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers.
“In both instances, when the TSA officer saw the image of the firearm on the X-ray screen, the Boise Police Department was notified and responded to the security checkpoint. These are the first and second firearms of 2018 discovered at the Boise Airport’s security checkpoint. In 2017, TSA officers in Boise discovered 29 guns in carry-on baggage,” she added.
“TSA will continue to hold passengers accountable for their actions. Mistakes like this are not only inconvenient, they can also be expensive,” said Andy Coose, TSA Federal Security Director for Idaho.
In addition to facing local or state criminal charges, TSA has the right to levy a civil penalty of up to $9,800 for bringing a weapon like a firearm to the checkpoint. Each penalty is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
