TSA officers stopped a woman from carrying this revolver through the checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport on Dec. 21. The gun was inside a clutch purse, which was inside a duffle bag. (TSA photo)

PITTSBURGH — A Texas man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) detected a .22 caliber handgun inside a clutch purse, which was inside a duffel bag at the security checkpoint on Tuesday, Dec. 21. The revolver filled the entire purse.

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When the TSA officer spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine, Allegheny County police were alerted. Police officers confiscated the weapon and arrested the man on weapons charges. TSA forwarded the incident to be followed up with the issuance of a federal financial civil penalty.

The man told officials that he was clearing out the house of a deceased relative to bring items back to his home and did not realize that there was a gun in the purse.

This week is part of the busy holiday travel period, a time when traveler volume picks up and prohibited and illegal items that travelers bring with them to the security checkpoint slow down the line for everyone.

“Our technologies are designed to alert us when we need a closer inspection of an item and indeed, the X-ray machine alarmed when it detected the gun through the purse and duffle bag. Our X-ray units can ‘see’ through all of that clutter,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s federal security director for the airport.

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