TSA confiscates two loaded guns at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Two loaded handguns were confiscated in separate incidents Tuesday by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The officer, who was not identified by TSA, discovered the first gun at 4:45 a.m. in a carry-on bag at a checkpoint X-ray machine. About six hours later, the same officer found another firearm in a different passenger's bag.

MSP Airport Police officers were alerted and confiscated the weapons, according to a TSA news release Wednesday.

"Our TSA officers continue to do an outstanding job detecting these weapons, but any time dangerous items are presented in the checkpoint, we have serious safety concerns for all in the area," said Marty Robinson, TSA's federal security director for Minnesota, noting that such a discovery can delay the screening process for other passengers.

"Individuals who own firearms should familiarize themselves with regulations regarding where their weapons can and cannot be carried," Robinson said.

All told, TSA officers have stopped nine firearms at MSP checkpoints so far this year. Fifty-eight firearms were discovered at MSP in 2022.

The penalty for bringing weapons to the airport can reach as high as $14,950, depending on the circumstances. Passengers caught with a firearm also may lose their TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years.

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