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 Linda Thomas
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Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

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Revolver.jpg
The TSA found a loaded gun in a man's carry-on bag at Bellingham's airport this week. The passenger was allowed to give the weapon to a friend, who wasn't traveling, and board a plane to Reno, Nevada. (TSA photo)

TSA confiscates shampoo, but not a gun in Bellingham

January 31, 2013 @ 5:32 pm (Updated: 6:27 pm - 1/31/13 )

The Transportation Security Administration routinely confiscates shampoo and hand sanitizer, but not guns.

A TSA screener discovered a revolver in a man's carry-on bag at Bellingham International Airport this week. The .22-caliber Derringer handgun was loaded with five rounds of ammunition in the chamber.

After some questioning, the man was allowed to turn the gun over to a friend, who wasn't getting on the plane. He then boarded the flight, which was delayed by the investigation.

One of my listeners heard this story on KIRO radio and wanted to know, "Is it really that easy avoid penalty for trying to board an airplane with a loaded handgun?"

A check with TSA headquarters finds the rules are clear. Travelers may transport unloaded firearms in a locked, hard-sided container in or as checked baggage. All firearms and ammunition are prohibited in carry-on baggage.

Criminal charges and a civil fine of up to $7,500 is the penalty for violations. I'm waiting for a comment from Bellingham authorities on whether the man flying out on Tuesday will face any fine. He was not charged with a crime.

The TSA office says it's up to local law enforcement to make the call in this case or any incidents involving items that turn up at check points. After the prosecutor's office gets a police report, they'll make a decision.

In the past week the TSA discovered 35 weapons at security screenings - 25 of those were loaded.

Among the items they found in screenings at airports around the United States in a week: A switchblade; Inert hand grenades; Three knives were discovered in a passenger's thermos ; A belt buckle knife; A sword ; and Nine stun guns, including one discovered at SeaTac Airport.

After screening 637,582,122 passengers in 2012, the TSA reports 1,543 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country. That's a little over four firearms per day. Of those, 1,215 or about 78 percent were loaded.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (25)


  • Add A Comment

  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    A big shot with a little pistol
    February 1, 2013 5:08 am
    Must be high up in the DemoComm Party to walk away from that. A citizen would be held without bail.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Burn_Notice wrote...
    You want to get past TSA?
    February 1, 2013 5:42 am
    RUN! Have you seen those people? Most of them haven't skipped a meal in years. Airport security is a joke and those countries that take airport security seriously look at our system a laugh.

    The USA is king when it comes to reactionary overbloated ineffective and "feel good" half-a55'd attempts at problem solving.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    The TSA isn't about safety
    February 1, 2013 6:53 am
    It's about control. If they really cared about stopping terrorism in the skies, they would profile poeple. Everyone knows that ain't gonna happen...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    The picture is not a Derringer...
    February 1, 2013 7:15 am
    ... It's a North American Armory .22LR Mini-revolver.

    Secondly... and completed on a different train of thought... where is the folloup story on the Atlanta Shooting MyNW? Here we have a school shooting which was stopped by an armed school police officer and no comment? In light of the current debate this should be out there in front... unless you are truly biased?

    I'm seriously considering turning off MyNW if they don't start offering legitimate coverage of WHOLE issues...

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • PNWflowergirl wrote...
    WAmovesRight
    February 1, 2013 7:38 am
    I couldnt agree more! I was hoping to wake up this morning to a story about the Atlanta shooting, as that is far more "news worthy" than this story!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    They were quick...
    February 1, 2013 9:01 am
    ... to post the urgent story yesterday. I can't imagine why they would not cover the rest of it... unless it's because it goes against their agenda.

    I hope that's not the case but, given their track record, I am not hopeful.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • R L M 456 wrote...
    I'm seriously considering turning off MyNW if they don't start offering legitimate coverage of WHOLE issues...
    February 1, 2013 5:08 pm
    MyNorthwest.com is ONLY capable of

    COPY and Paste

    from AOL.com

    to get "News" stories

    It is not possible for them to have an original thought

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Drool wrote...
    Nope
    February 1, 2013 8:07 pm
    North American Arms.

    I own one.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • xplanes wrote...
    I didn't know
    February 1, 2013 9:42 am
    they made five shot Darringers.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RnD_Fan wrote...
    Linda and the rest of YourSpinNW.com...
    February 1, 2013 10:08 am
    Did you hear that the shooter in Atlanta was apprehended and disarmed by Armed School Security Personnel?

    Instead of a 'gun-free' killing zone, the school was proactive and likely saved at least one, if not many lives!

    THAT is a story!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • lazarusrose wrote...
    @Rnd_Fan
    February 1, 2013 12:09 pm
    Agreed. I dislike how this example is receiving almost no coverage. A search revealed articles in maybe 2 major news outlets, that's it. It's pretty obvious that coverage on gun control is completely biased. I haven't even been able to turn my radio on or read much news lately because all the anti-gun bias. It's way too emotionally driven and it's completely illogical on many levels. It feels just like what it felt like after 9/11, and we regretted how hasty that decision was, to go to war. We acted out in emotional distress then, and are doing the same thing now.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    Prepared... not just emotional...
    February 1, 2013 3:40 pm
    ... the core groups behind this "disarm american" movement is not acting out of emotion. They've had everything in place for years. They are just using the emotional sentiments of these recent tragedies to mobilize otherwise rational people in favor of their agenda.

    Despicable....

    And shame on you, Linda & MyNW, for continuing your platant biasness and not even trying to cover the other side of this 2nd amendment issue.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    It's impossible to have "five rounds in the chamber"!!!!!!
    February 1, 2013 11:08 am
    This is part of the problem ..people (usually the left wing) talks about something they know little about. It's called demagoguery.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • bigdogina4x4 wrote...
    Actually, it's not....
    February 1, 2013 11:47 am
    the cylinder of this revolver has 5 chambers. 1 for each round.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Five rounds in the"cylinder"
    February 1, 2013 2:58 pm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_%28firearms%29
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    The TSA has absolutely
    February 1, 2013 1:49 pm
    no law enforcement authority LINDA. They can't arrest anybody. I'm still waiting for that waiting period and national registry for box cutters. That would have prevented 9-11.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • xplanes wrote...
    Lately I've noticed
    February 1, 2013 2:30 pm
    Whenever there is a legislative initiative, like gay marriage, gun control etc. the news is entirely flooded with stories only covering one side of the issue. During the gay marriage issue every station, every hour, every day every chance ran a story with a favorable bent. The second the shooting in Sandy Hook happened every station, every hour, every day, every chance ran stories about how bad our gun laws are and how crazy it is not to do something about them. It's so blatant anymore it's frightening. I'm sure no writer at this site gets an e-mail saying what to write about and what to ignore, but when you entire profession is like 95% liberals it's no wonder we get what we get. Not very likely the universities will be graduating many non-liberals this year I think.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • xplanes wrote...
    Linda
    February 1, 2013 3:06 pm
    I'm still waiting for that article you promised on the use of guns to save lives. I'm sorry if I missed it. Can you post a link so I can get the other side of your balanced reporting?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • R L M 456 wrote...
    x-planes
    February 1, 2013 5:11 pm
    like I said before

    as soon as AOL.com publishes a story about how a life was saved by a gun owner

    MyNorthwest will copy and paste it

    and run it as TOP STORY the next day

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RnD_Fan wrote...
    Don't hold your breath!
    February 1, 2013 10:17 pm
    Toeing the company line is mandatory.

    It puts lots of bread on the table.

    Sad State of affairs.

    Ironic that Dori is the least one sided of them all!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cslagenhop wrote...
    Liberals in Education
    February 2, 2013 5:54 am
    It looks like the investment made in turning the higher learning establishments into indoctrination centers has paid off. Thanks George Soros and your ilk.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cslagenhop wrote...
    Guns
    February 2, 2013 5:51 am
    And not a single gun confiscation by these bozos has made traveling safer. The most effective thing ever done to improve aircraft safety is to armor and lock the cockpit door. Now it should be possible to let anyone on a plane without screening, because without the ability to access the cockpit, and after 9.11 there is no point in a hijacking. As far as explosives go- they would probably be far more effective if they were set off at a TSA checkpoint before going through it as there is usually a greater concentration of people.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }