Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Forgetful PA Gun Owner Arrested at NJ Airport

ABC News reports

Officials say a Pennsylvania man was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport after screeners noticed a loaded gun in his carry-on bag.

59-year-old Robert Kellerman of Long Pond was taken into custody just after 6 a.m. Sunday by Port Authority police. They were notified after Transportation Security Administration screeners saw the .22-caliber handgun at a checkpoint inside Terminal C.

Kellerman was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. Officials say Kellerman told police he forgot the gun was inside the bag.

Airline passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage. They must be stored properly and unloaded.
The reason guys like this should get the one-strike-you're-out treatment is twofold. First, because their behavior is exactly the same as the bad guy who has violent intentions and second, because the same kind of forgetfulness with regards weapons can be dangerous.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

3 comments:

  1. If someone has jumped through all the hoops to qualify for and obtain a concealed carry license (which means the have no criminal record), why is having a loaded handgun in a holster (which covers the trigger) on an airplane taboo? A person with a concealed carry license can carry everywhere in Utah for example. Why is an airplane any different from a grocery store or movie theater?

    For reference nobody screened anyone for firearms on commercial planes in the 50s and 60s and there were never any problems. What suddenly changed in the 1970s?

    Oh, and before anyone jumps up and down screaming about terrorists, how many terrorists are going to try and hijack an airplane now that there are locked, steel, bulletproof cockpit doors and anyone else could be armed on the plane as well?

    And no, a handgun bullet shot through the cabin will not cause the airplane to explode mid-flight. (That was a really entertaining MythBusters episode!)

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  2. Umm.... sorry you've been misinformed, but there are places in utah you can't carry concealed. Churches for example.

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    1. Some federal buildings too, I would imagine. And let's not forget one of the most agreed-upon gun free zones, the prison on visiting day.

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