San Diego man caught carrying loaded gun and to Pittsburgh International Airport

Ryan Dickinson

Pittsburgh, PA- TSA officers working at Pittsburgh International Airport noticed a passenger with a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9 mm caliber handgun in a backpack at the main security checkpoint at the airport.

Allegheny County police officers interrogated 35-year-old Paul O’Brien of San Diego, California, and found he did not possess a valid concealed carry permit. FBI agents were notified, and O’Brien was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license.

The Allegheny County Police Department said this was the fourth firearm found within the airport in the last 5 days.

Department said that many of the gun incidents at the airport are the result of not knowing local laws or improperly packing bags before heading to the airport.


“Allegheny County Police would like to remind travelers to not bring firearms with them to the airport. Please inspect your bags prior to arriving at the airport to be certain they do not contain firearms or other prohibited items,” the department said. “In addition to possible criminal charges, persons who are found in possession of firearms at the security checkpoint may face TSA civil penalties up to $13,910.”

Here are the incidents reported by the TSA and the Allegheny County Police Department:

• October 17 – TSA officers observed a loaded Smith & Wesson 40cal handgun within a passenger’s backpack at the main security checkpoint and alerted County Police. The 33-year-old male passenger from Canonsburg, PA, possessed a valid carry permit and was not charged by County Police.

• October 15 – TSA officers observed a loaded Glock 9 MM handgun within a passenger’s carry-on bag at the alternate security checkpoint and alerted County Police. The passenger, 40-year-old Jacob Huckabay of Westcliffe, California, was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license

• October 14 – TSA officers observed a loaded Ruger .380 caliber handgun within a passenger’s carry-on bag at the main security checkpoint and alerted County Police of their finding. The passenger, 54-year-old Gordon Vietmeier of Pittsburgh, was arrested and charged by County Police with carrying a firearm without a license

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