SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A passenger looking to board a plane at Sioux Falls Regional Airport had a loaded handgun in a carry-on bag Tuesday. 

The Transportation Security Administration announced officers spotted the image of a handgun on an X-ray screen during routine screening of carry-on luggage. The Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office and Sioux Falls Police Department responded to the checkpoint and confiscated the gun which was loaded. You can see a photo of the gun below. 

TSA says this is the fourth gun detected at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport this year. There were nine guns detected in 2022. 

“We encourage all travelers to know the exact location of their firearm at all times and to pack their luggage starting with a completely empty bag to ensure no prohibited items are accidentally brought to the checkpoint,” South Dakota TSA Federal Security Director David Durgan said in a news release.

The penalty for bringing weapons to the airport can be as high as $14,950 depending on circumstances.  

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.