Brick Man Had Loaded Gun In Carry-On At Atlantic City Airport

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township man faces a federal penalty after a loaded handgun was found in his carry-on bag during screening at the Atlantic City International Airport on Sunday, authorities said.

The man, whose name was not released, was escorted from the airport by New Jersey State Police, the Transportation Security Administration said in a news release. The weapon was a 9mm handgun and was loaded with nine bullets, the release said.

New Jersey State Police interviewed the man but did not arrest him. A state police spokesman said the man was legally licensed to carry a firearm but directed all other questions to the TSA.

A TSA spokeswoman said the agency does not have the authority to make an arrest and referred questions to the state police.

The man faces a federal fine for bringing a firearm to a security checkpoint, the TSA said.

"Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane," the TSA said. "Guns are absolutely not permitted to be carried onto planes."

Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

It has been illegal for anyone but law enforcement to carry a firearm on a plane since 1968.

New Jersey has some of the strictest firearms laws in the nation. They include a requirement that when a person is transporting firearms in a vehicle they have to be unloaded and in a closed and fastened case, and ideally the ammunition stored in a separate, locked container. There have been multiple instances where police have arrested people from out of state who were carrying concealed firearms in their cars, and had valid firearms licenses from their home states.

Gov. Chris Christie pardoned a number of out-of-state residents who were caught with weapons, NJ.com reported.

TSA officials said it was the second gun that was caught at the airport checkpoint in March; there were two guns caught by the checkpoint in 2020 and two in 2019.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane. Guns are absolutely not permitted to be carried onto planes. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and travelers should check into firearm laws before they decide to travel with their guns. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Brick Patch on Facebook.