LA CROSSE — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) stopped a man at La Crosse Regional Airport on Tuesday after they discovered he had a loaded handgun in his carry-on baggage.
The man was going through a security check around 5:15 a.m. when TSA discovered the .22 caliber handgun and a magazine with 12 bullets.
TSA contacted the La Crosse Police Department who then took possession of the weapon, and escorted the man away from the checkpoint.
“Travel during this holiday season is ramping up and firearms continue to be detected at airport security checkpoints,” said Wisconsin’s TSA Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay. “During this pandemic, our sharp TSA officers remain vigilant while keeping our airports as safe and secure as possible.”
This was the first gun discovered at La Crosse Regional Airport this year.
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. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality, TSA said in a press release.
