Yet another traveler found himself under arrest at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after he forgot he had a handgun in his carry-on luggage, Channel 2 Action News reports.
David Gilmore, 54, was arrested Monday after agents monitoring an X-ray machine at a security checkpoint spotted a loaded .22-caliber Baretta in a carry-on bag.
Gilmore’s attorney said his client went to a shooting range, then forgot he had put the weapon in his bag before leaving for the airport.
The latest incident follows four men arrested for bringing guns to airport security checkpoints within a 29-hour period last Thursday and Friday. In every instance, the travelers were detained at least overnight in Clayton County Jail as they awaited bond hearings.
Besides criminal charges, offenders could face civil penalties for carrying a firearm at an airport ranging from $3,000 to $7,500 for a loaded weapon and $1,500 to $3,000 for an unloaded weapon.
Transportation Security Administration spokesman Jon Allen said the TSA averages two gun confiscations a day across the country. Local airport officials told Channel 2 last week that they've found 50 guns since January.
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