TSA finds 2 loaded firearms at Mitchell International Airport over three-day period

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- TSA found two loaded firearms at General Mitchell International Airport at security screening checkpoints over a three-day period. 

TSA discovered a .22 caliber Ruger, loaded with nine rounds, during an x-ray screening at one of the checkpoints on Sunday.

TSA then discovered a .380 caliber Sig Sauer, loaded with eight rounds, in a carry-on bag on Tuesday morning. 

In both cases, an officer from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department responded, took possession of the firearms, and interviewed the passengers.

“Under no circumstances should a passenger bring a firearm to an airport security checkpoint,” said TSA Wisconsin Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay. “We have recently posted additional signage prohibiting firearms at our checkpoints here to further educate passengers. Passengers who wish to travel with a firearm, permissible in a checked bag only, should check with their airline and review TSA’s rules before coming to the airport.”

Firearms can only be transported in a checked bag, if they are declared to the airline at the ticket counter and properly packed in a locked, hard-sided case.

TSA can assess a civil penalty of up to $13,333 per violation.

Any criminal charges regarding these two incidents will be up to law enforcement.

For more information on prohibited items and firearms and ammunition, click here. 

Stay with CBS 58 News for more information on this developing story.