A Lower Bucks County man was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey Monday.
According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials, the 30-year-old Christopher C. Brown, a resident of Morrisville Borough, was arrested after officers found a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in his backpack.
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The flier told investigators he did not know the loaded handgun was with him. He explained that he brought his hunting backpack with him to the airport, according to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.
The spokesperson stressed that “travelers not use the same bag that they use for hunting or use at a firing range when coming to the airport as it is too easy to leave ammunition, magazines—and in this case, a gun—in the bag.”
TSA officers were sending the Morrisville man’s bag through a checkpoint X-ray machine when the handgun was discovered. Port Authority police shut down the area and responded after the gun was discovered.
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Port Authority spokesperson Joe Pentangelo said Brown was planning to board a flight to Dallas.
“As a reminder, weapons – including firearms, firearm parts and ammunition – are not permitted in carry-on bags. Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA of up to $12,000,” Farbstein said.
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Passengers, according to authorities, should check their bags thoroughly before going to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items.
Brown was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
