SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a gun from making its way onboard an airplane at Rapid City Regional Airport last week.
According to a news release from TSA, a routine screening of carry-on luggage caught the handgun via an X-ray screen. TSA officials immediately alerted Rapid City Police, who responded to the checkpoint. The firearm was loaded with two magazines loaded with accessible rounds were also discovered in the carry-on bag.
This is the 11th firearm detected at the Rapid City airport so far this year, and the third detected just in the month of October. A total of 12 firearms were detected at RAP security checkpoints in all of 2023, according to TSA.
In addition to any action taken by law enforcement, TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint with a civil penalty up to approximately $15,000, revokes TSA PreCheck® eligibility for at least five years and may conduct enhanced screening to ensure there are no other threats present.
