The Transportation Security Administration officers intercepted two firearms in one day at Appleton International Airport this week.
The incident at ATW occurred March 24 around 5:30 a.m. During the routine screening of carry-on luggage, TSA officers spotted the image of two handguns on the X-ray screen within a single bag. TSA officials immediately alerted the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, who responded to the checkpoint and took possession of the firearms. Both firearms were loaded.
Firearms have also been detected this month at checkpoints in Dane County Regional Airport, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, and Central Wisconsin Airport.
TSA is reminding passengers that firearms are never allowed in carry-on baggage.
In addition to any action taken by law enforcement, TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint with a civil penalty up to approximately $15,000, revokes TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years and may conduct enhanced screening to ensure there are no other threats present.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hard-sided case and declared at the airline check-in counter. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
