BANGOR, Maine — The first firearm detected at a Maine airport this year was reported at the Bangor International Airport on Monday morning.
While Transportation Security Administration officers were conducting security screening Monday morning, they immediately notified Bangor police after they detected a firearm in a man's carry-on bag, TSA said in a news release Tuesday.
"Police discovered a loaded .22 caliber firearm along with eight rounds in the Maine resident’s bag," the release stated.
The firearm was the first to be detected at a Maine airport so far this year, and the fifth in New England. According to TSA, the Boston Logan International Airport and Bradley International Airport have each had two detections this year already.
"When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm it can slow or shut down security screening until the police resolve the incident," Oscar De Los Reyes, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Maine, said in the release. "Carelessly traveling with a loaded firearm is a serious public safety concern, considering it could be accidentally discharged during a search."
According to TSA, several new measures have been implemented to help mitigate firearm threats, including enhanced screening for passengers who have a firearm at a TSA checkpoint. These passengers also lose their TSA PreCheck eligibility for up to five years, TSA added.
"In December 2022, TSA also increased the maximum civil penalty for a firearms violation to nearly $15,000, the release said Tuesday.
You can find a complete list of penalties, as well as how to properly travel with a firearm on the TSA website here.
