Ohio man forgot he had a gun, tried to bring it on Sarasota-Bradenton flight - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority Police Chief Ted Kohuth said this is the second case where a traveler tried to carry a firearm on a flight. It happened six times in 2019.

SARASOTA — More often than not, travelers are guilty of underpacking for a trip.

But that wasn’t the case for a Westerville, Ohio, man on Sunday who was arrested by Sarasota Airport Authority Police after he tried to board Allegiant Air Flight 2019 from Sarasota to Columbus with a loaded handgun.

Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority Police Chief Ted Kohuth said it is the second time this year that someone has attempted to board a flight with a loaded gun at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Both times individuals were stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers at checkpoints.

"Before leaving home, travelers are encouraged to check their baggage to ensure they are not traveling with any prohibited items including firearms, firearm parts and ammunition to avoid a possible arrest or civil penalties," said Kohuth, repeating a TSA recommendation.

According to an arrest report, the 68-year-old man drove to Sarasota with his wife because they had recently purchased a home on Longboat Key. The man planned to return to Ohio but was stopped at the second-floor checkpoint for departing flights.

#apolloLink{color:#000;background-color:#F4BE11;text-shadow: none;padding: 8px 15px 10px;font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;font-weight: 600;border-radius:10px;}

TSA agents using an X-ray machine spotted the image of a handgun inside a briefcase and removed it from the conveyor belt. They asked the Ohio man if it was his bag and if there was anything in the bag that shouldn’t be there.

The man replied that it was his bag, he had an Ohio concealed carry permit and had forgotten that he had a firearm in his briefcase. Agents took him to an interview room where they found a loaded Glock Model 42 .380 semi-automatic handgun.

He said he recently purchased a home and is planning on "wintering" in Florida in the future.

Agents removed the gun from the bag. They found it was fully operational and had six bullets in the magazine and one in the chamber.

The Ohio man was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for carrying a concealed weapon in a prohibited area. The weapon was not reported stolen and the man did not have any outstanding warrants.

The man was cooperative and allowed to call his wife before being taken to the Sarasota County jail. He was released the same day on $120 bail.

The firearm and ammunition were placed in evidence.

More common

In 2019, there were a record number of guns seized (4,432) at U.S. airport checkpoints, averaging about 12.1 firearms per day, an approximately 5% increase nationally from 2018, according to TSA.gov. Eighty-seven percent of firearms found last year were loaded.

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport detected six guns at checkpoints in 2019, and Kohuth said they are on pace to surpass that number this year.

Kohuth said there is a proper way for passengers to bring firearms with them on flights in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided case. Ammunition must be in its original box and can be packed inside the hard-side case, next to the firearm.

#apolloLink{color:#000;background-color:#F4BE11;text-shadow: none;padding: 8px 15px 10px;font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;font-weight: 600;border-radius:10px;}