A 42-year-old Chester County man is in police custody after security officials found a loaded handgun in his carry-on luggage Thursday night at Philadelphia International Airport, police said.
The man was going through a security checkpoint around 7 p.m. when a TSA screener saw the gun as his bag was being scanned. The agent called police, who recovered the .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun. The man was taken to Southwest Detectives Division.
The man is expected to be charged with reckless endangerment and possessing an instrument of crime. He could also face federal charges. Authorities have not released his name, pending charges.
Strangely, the incident occurred hours after a 29-year-old man was arrested for trying to carry homemade fireworks aboard a plane to San Francisco. Joseph Picklo, of Dallas, Pa., was charged with trying to carry explosives aboard an aircraft. He could face up to 10 years in prison.
