Normally, you wouldn’t bat an eye at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) worker carrying a gun. Not this time. Not when he’s not supposed to be packing heat.
A TSA employee was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after the man allegedly brought in an unlicensed weapon to work at the world’s busiest airport. It highlights a disturbing trend of airport workers carrying firearms when they are not supposed to, according to Fox Atlanta.
The incident involving the 58-year-old man named Matthew Lamar Gilbert happened on January 21. He was arrested, but has since been released on the bond.
Only certain TSA employees, such as federal air marshals, are allowed to carry a gun.
In a statement, the TSA said: "TSA is aware of the arrest of an officer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on Tuesday morning. TSA has zero tolerance for misconduct on or off duty and the officer involved has been removed from screening status, placed on leave pending further action, based on resolution of the case. Passenger and employee safety is top priority for TSA, and we are working closely with our Atlanta Airport Police partners on this incident."
Hartsfield-Jackson ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2024 for most guns found by TSA agents or officers at security checkpoints.
"We do not want guns in the secured area of the airport," said Capt. Toya Young with Atlanta Police. "Prior to getting to the secured area, you're free to carry, but once you're entering into a secured area, it is against the law to carry a firearm. We carry weapons to protect ourselves, so if you are carrying a weapon and it's supposed to be used for protection and you don't know where it is, that's concerning. The increase in numbers just shows that we're doing our job because employees, they're still held to a standard. If an employee comes through with a firearm, they are terminated immediately."
This seems to be a prevalent problem at airports.
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