Officers with the Transportation Security Administration at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport detected the first firearm of the year in a traveler’s carry-on Monday night.
TSA agents found an unloaded 9 mm Sig Sauer P290 gun in the carry-on luggage of a female passenger ticketed for travel to Salt Lake City International Airport. The incident happened at around 5:35 pm during the routine X-ray screening of carry-on luggage at the security checkpoint. Upon discovery of the firearm, TSA notified officers with the Lewiston Police Department and they responded to the security checkpoint. They interviewed the traveler and allowed her to give the firearm to a non-traveler. This is the first firearm discovered by TSA in carry-on luggage at LWS in 2022. In July 2021, TSA officers at LWS discovered an unloaded firearm in a traveler’s carry-on bag. In 2020, no firearms were found at the LWS security checkpoint.
The firearm find at LWS on Monday was one of 27 firearms detected in carry-on luggage at airports nationwide. Since the start of the year, TSA officers have discovered more than 2,800 firearms in carry-ons at security checkpoints nationwide. TSA reminds travelers to be aware of the contents of their bag to ensure they are not bringing firearms, or other prohibited items in carry-on luggage.
For info on what items you can travel with, CLICK HERE. (TSA)
