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Loaded gun found in carry-on over weekend
Loaded gun found in carry-on over weekend
A North Carolina woman was arrested Saturday at the Greater Rochester International Airport for having a loaded gun in her carry-on bag.
A Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the .357 caliber handgun in the checkpoint X-ray machine and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was contacted. The Sheriff’s Office took possession of the firearm and arrested the woman on a weapons charge.
There was no impact to airport operations.
The woman told officials that the gun belonged to her boyfriend and she did not realize it was in her duffle bag when she packed to return to North Carolina.
“These incidents bring to light the critical role that the Transportation Security Administration, and the dedication of the officers assigned to the Greater Rochester International Airport, demonstrate in protecting the flying public—by keeping loaded firearms from being allowed onto a plane,” TSA Upstate New York Federal Security Director Bart Johnson said in a statement. “It is also a stark reminder of the importance that passengers play in making sure that they stop and think about what they have in their carry-on bags to ensure that they do not bring any prohibited items to an airport checkpoint.”
It marks the fourth time that TSA officers at Rochester’s airport have spotted a firearm at the checkpoint this year. No guns were detected at the checkpoint in 2016. Five firearms were caught in 2015.
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer
(c) 2017 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-363-7269 or email [email protected]
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