DES MOINES, Iowa — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at the Des Moines International Airport stopped a Polk County man last Thursday when they discovered a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag, according to TSA officials.
This comes one week after TSA officers discovered a Dallas County man had a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag.
The Polk County man carried a 9 mm caliber handgun loaded with 14 bullets in his carry-on bag. After they spotted the gun, TSA officers contacted the Des Moines Police Department.
Police then confiscated the gun before citing him on a weapons charge.
This is the second gun caught at the Des Moines International Airport this year. In 2019, 12 guns were confiscated.
TSA's Federal Security Director for Iowa John Bright said that no one should bring a loaded gun to the airport.
"If you want to travel with your firearm, the first thing you should do is make sure it is unloaded. Then pack it in a hard-sided case and lock the case. Upon arriving at the airport, take the case to the airline check-in counter and declare that you want to fly with it. The airline will make sure it is stored securely in the underbelly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight,” he said in the release.
