TSA Week in Review Oct. 21st-27th: Replica Suicide Vest, Black Powder, 55 Guns

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

TSA Week in Review October 21st - 27th: Replica Suicide Vest, Black Powder and 55 Loaded Firearms

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TSA officers discovered 65 firearms this week in carry-on bags around the nation. Of the 65 firearms discovered, 55 were loaded and 17 had a round chambered. All of the firearms pictured were discovered in the last week. See a complete list below.

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The traveler who packed this vest in his checked bag at Richmond (RIC) stated it was a prop intended for use in a live-action role-playing game (LARP). TSA explosives experts raced to the checked baggage room and the airport police were called immediately. Fortunately, the explosives experts determined the vest posed no danger.

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There were two incidents this week involving black powder (gun powder). A flask of black powder was discovered in a carry-on bag at Allentown (ABE). A powder horn full of black powder was discovered in a checked bag at Boise (BOI). Black powder is strictly prohibited from being packed in both carry-on and checked bags.

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The two grenades pictured here were discovered this week. The inert grenade on the left was discovered in a carry-on bag at Las Vegas (LAS). The inert grenade on the right was discovered in a checked bag at Syracuse (SYR). We don’t know grenades are inert until our explosives professionals take a closer look, and that takes time and slows down the line. It can even lead to a complete shutdown and evacuation. For these reasons, anything resembling a bomb or grenade is prohibited from both carry-on and checked bags.

In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly in carry-on bags, our officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, stun guns, small pocketknives and many other prohibited items too numerous to note.

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When packed properly, ammunition can be transported in your checked baggage, but it is never permissible to pack ammo in your carry-on bag.

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline.

You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms.

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds.

Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the line is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. The passenger can face a penalty as high as $11,000.

This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions; that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

*In order to provide a timely weekly update, this data is compiled from a preliminary report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly from what is reported in the weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear or end-of-year numbers TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will be actual numbers and not estimates.

Read our 2015 Year in Review post! If you haven’t read them yet, make sure you check out our year in review posts for 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

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Bob Burns
TSA Social Media Team

Posted by Bob Burns (TSA Blog Team) at 10/28/2016 08:34:00 PM http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_email.gif

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