Plane crazy Man flees JFK Airport without shoes or ID after loaded gun found in luggage

A male passenger at New York's JFK International Airport fled without his shoes and passport after officers found a loaded 9mm handgun in his carry-on.

However, as he neglected to take his ID and boarding pass with him, it was not difficult for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to identify him.

According to his boarding pass, the Brooklyn man was headed to Atlanta. Officials were able to catch his friends and interview them before they boarded the flight.

“Fleeing the checkpoint does this man no good,” John Bambury, the TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, warned in a press release. “It was foolish of him to run. We know who he is and he now faces a stiff financial federal civil penalty.”

According to the TSA, the first time a passenger is caught with a loaded gun at a security checkpoint, they can face a fine of $4,100 (€3,368).

However, fines can triple depending on the circumstances and the suspect's level of cooperation. The agency noted that that concealed carry permit holders are not exempt from penalties, either.

It is legal to transport guns in checked bags if they are unloaded and in a locked case. However, there are federal civil penalties for improperly placing a gun in a carry-on bag.

In 2019, 4,432 guns were found in carry-on bags, or about 12.1 per day, and 87% were loaded. Incidents are up 5% from 2018.

That trend has continued in 2020 with TSA Administrator David Pekoske voicing concern that there had been a significant increase in loaded guns at checkpoints.

He added: “Even more concerning is that 80% of the firearms coming into the checkpoint are loaded, and it’s just an accident waiting to happen."

Officers found 15.3 guns for every million people screened in July, compared with 5.1 per million people in July of last year, the Transportation Security Administration said this week.

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Online Editors