March 25--A man who was on his way to New York was arrested Tuesday at Midway Airport after a loaded gun was found inside of his carry-on bag, authorities said.
Officials discovered the loaded .45-caliber handgun in the 34-year-old man's luggage and immediately called police to the airport checkpoint, where he was arrested, according to a news release from the Transportation Security Administration.
The man was flying out of Midway to LaGuardia Airport in New York, the release said.
TSA officials said the gun was the seventh firearm discovered in carry-on luggage this year. The agency estimates that about 1.8 million passengers and their luggage are screened every day for prohibited items, weapons and explosives.
Firearms are banned in carry-on bags but can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline, the release said.
Civil penalties ranging from $1,500 to $11,000 can be imposed for having a firearm at a security checkpoint, officials said.
