TSA officers detect 19th firearm this year at Boston Logan International Airport

TSA officers detected this 9mm firearm along with eight rounds inside a man's backpack on Monday, November4, 2024.

BOSTON - Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a man from carrying a loaded firearm onto an airplane at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on Monday, November 4.

During Monday afternoon security screening in Terminal C, a TSA officer detected a firearm in the 20-year-old male's backpack. TSA officers immediately alerted Massachusetts State Police (MSP) who confirmed there was a loaded 9mm firearm along with a magazine containing eight rounds in the backpack.

During questioning, the Connecticut man stated the bag did not belong to him and that he did not possess a license to carry a firearm. An MSP trooper eventually took possession of the firearm and arrested the man on multiple state charges.

"In addition to the serious safety risk these incidents pose, they can also slow down the screening process for all passengers when we're forced to temporarily close down a lane," said Bob Allison, TSA's Federal Security Director for Massachusetts. "I strongly urge all gun owners to ensure they know where their firearms are before traveling to the airport."

TSA Security Checkpoint Firearm Detections at BOS (2021 - 2024):

CODE	AIRPORT	2024	2023	2022	2021
BOS	Boston Logan International	19	18	31	18

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded gun into a checkpoint is $3,000 and can go as high as $15,000 depending on any mitigating circumstances.

This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.