TSA Makes Startling Discovery In Security Line At MSP Airport

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers made quite a find earlier this week at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) Airport.

MSP is the largest airport in both the North Star State and our neighboring states of Iowa and Wisconsin. So it's no surprise that a LOT of Minnesotans (and Iowans and Wisconsinites and others) head through the TSA checkpoints at MSP each year when traveling across the country and overseas.

And those passengers add up. In fact, last year, they added up to 37,168,257. That's the total number of passengers who went through the gates at MSP in 2024, a nearly 7 percent increase from the 34,770,800 passengers who used MSP in 2023, and the 31,241,822 passengers served in 2022.

ALSO INTERESTING: The Surprising Fact About MSP Airport You May Not Know

However, it was TSA officers at MSP who made a jaw-dropping discovery this week that stopped the security line cold. What they found wasn’t just against the rules—it was also loaded with danger, and could have ended much differently.

According to a release from the Minnesota office of the TSA, its security officers at MSP stopped not one, but two loaded handguns in separate incidents on the same day, Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Marty Robinson is the TSA’s Federal Security Director for Minnesota, who said that the incident could have been prevented:

"Bringing a firearm to the checkpoint is a careless, expensive mistake that increases risks to passengers and airport employees. Individuals who own firearms should familiarize themselves with regulations regarding where their weapons can and cannot be carried," Robinson said in the release.

The release went on to say that TSA officers at MSP had already intercepted 20 firearms at security checkpoints previous to this incident, bringing the 2025 total to 22 weapons seized so far. That compares to a total of 52 firearms that TSA agents intercepted at MSP throughout all of 2024.

In addition to being unable to fly, the release also noted that there are penalties involved if you bring a firearm to an airport security checkpoint:

"Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint also face a federal financial civil penalty. TSA determines the penalty amount for a violation based on the circumstances in each case. TSA will continue to revoke TSA PreCheck® eligibility for at least five years for passengers caught with a firearm in their possession," the release noted.

You *can* fly with a gun; however, there are specific instructions on how to do it. The TSA says passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.

The TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. If you are traveling with any guns, the TSA says you should also contact your airline, as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition, as well as checking for various state and location regulations.

Meanwhile, keep scrolling to check out some items you are NOT permitted to check in your bags and any airport here in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

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