The Transportation Security Administration discovered a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun in a passenger’s carry-on bag around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at an Indianapolis International Airport checkpoint.

TSA agents immediately alerted airport police, who took possession of the bag and cited the passenger with local charges.

While firearms may be transported in checked baggage provided they have been declared to the airline, are in proper carrying cases and are unloaded, it is prohibited to take them in carry-on bags.

The TSA would like to use this incident to highlight to passengers the importance of thoroughly searching their bags for any potential weapons or prohibited items before departing for the airport. Safety is of the utmost concern to the TSA, and having weapons in bags that are with passengers on an aircraft is dangerous to other travelers and can be easily mistaken as an intentional attempt to bring a prohibited item onto a plane.

“Passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to the checkpoint,” stated Mark Howell, TSA spokesman. “Our advice is to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items.”

The handgun is the eleventh firearm discovered by TSA officers at security checkpoints in Indianapolis in 2015. A total of 25 firearms were found at the checkpoints in 2014. In addition to potential criminal charges, passengers who bring firearms into the airport may face civil penalties from the TSA.

More information can be found about prohibited items on the TSA’s website.

Source: WTHR