California Politician Stopped by Airport Security with Loaded Gun
California state assemblyman Tim Donnelly was passing through airport security at the state’s Ontario International Airport heading to Sacramento when he was stopped by a TSA officer who spotted a gun in the man’s carry-on bag.
TSA Finds Explosives, Stun Gun
TSA Finds Loaded Gun and Extra Ammo
According to the Sacramento Bee, besides the .45 Colt Mark IV handgun, there was also a spare round of ammunition in the bag. Donnelly, a Republican and passionate gun rights advocate, was cited and released.
No reason has been given to explain why the politico was carrying the weapon, but several reports of the incident quote TSA spokesman Nico Melendez, who says the most common reason given is they forget they are carrying the gun.
TSA Finds Gun on 76-Year-Old’s Ankle
1,200 Guns Found at Security in 2011 Alone
The TSA’s Melendez also said such incidents are not uncommon, noting that last year, some 1,200 guns were found in baggage by TSA agents nationwide.
Meanwhile, a commenter on the San Francisco Chronicle website had this suggestion: “If you forget you’re carrying a gun, you probably shouldn’t be carrying a gun.”
