A man made it through Austin Bergstrom International Airport with a loaded gun after it was missed by a Transportation Security Administration security officer.
According to KVUE, police reports say that on June 16, a man from Georgetown, Texas, went through TSA Checkpoint 1 in the airport with no problems. After he went through the checkpoint, he told police he went to look for his headphones in his carry-on bag and noticed his gun, a Ruger LCP .380, was in one of the front pockets. It had six bullets in it.
The man alerted a Delta agent, who notified police. Austin Police Department officers ran a check on the man's background and made sure the gun wasn't stolen. The man's bag was searched for other illegal items, KVUE reported.
The man emphasized that he was not aware the gun was in the bag, and he apologized to police multiple times.
Because he reported the gun after noticing it was left in his bag and passed a background check, the APD did not charge him.
The TSA said in a statement to KVUE that the security officer responsible has been fired.
“After a thorough investigation, TSA determined that a Transportation Security Officer made an error and did not identify the firearm at the checkpoint,” the agency said. “The officer is no longer employed by TSA.”
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