TAMPA, Fla. – A passenger was arrested on Friday evening after a gun was discovered at Tampa International Airport, according to TSA officials.
The airport said the incident happened at Airside F around 8 p.m. when the gun was detected among the passenger’s carry-on items.
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In a release, the TSA said that the gun was discovered by checkpoint screening technology, but the wrong bag was flagged for an additional search, and the passenger collected his property before heading into the terminal.
Upon realizing that the wrong bag was flagged, TSA temporarily suspended further screenings, and airport police sent all passengers to the Main Terminal while a precautionary sweep was conducted, the release shows.
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During the search, police found the gun in a restroom trash bin, leading to the passenger being taken into custody, a TSA spokesperson told News 6.
“Ensuring safety is our No. 1 job, and that’s what occurred tonight,” TPA Executive Vice President of Operations Jon Tiliacos said. “We are thankful for the actions of our officers and our TSA partners, who quickly contained the situation and helped operations resume safely as fast as possible.”
Once the airside was cleared, TSA rescreened the passengers, and normal operations kicked back up at Airside F around 9:45 p.m., according to TSA. Airport officials said around a dozen Airside F flights were delayed, though none were canceled, and no other areas of the airport were impacted.
According to the TSA, 82 firearms have been intercepted at the airport since the beginning of the year, with 79 being loaded.
No additional information has been provided, including the identity of the passenger.
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