People Pulling Up To Airports With Loaded Guns Happens More Often Than You Think
More than 4,600 guns have already been found by TSA agents this year.
by Danteé Ramos
November 12, 2022 at 2:29 am
Philly artist Tierra Whack was arrested and charged with one count of disorderly conduct on Tuesday. TSA discovered the artist had brought a loaded gun with her to the Philadelphia Airport. Whack is not the only artist detained for bringing a firearm through the airport. Rich The Kid, Zonnique, Juelz Santana, Kamiyah, Wacka Flocka and many others have booked for carrying — caught by airport TSA.
According to the NY Times, the number of guns found at airport checkpoints is on pace to set records.
aMore than 4,600 guns have already been found by TSA agents this year at airport security checkpoints and about 87 percent of them were loaded.
This year has seen a surge of firearms discovered at airports around the country as air travel is rapidly approaching pre-epidemic levels. Given the recent increase in gun purchases nationwide, it’s possible that some travelers are unaware of the regulations governing the transportation of firearms on airplanes.
“Entering a checkpoint with a firearm, particularly a loaded one, is an expensive mistake,” Carter Langston, a TSA spokesman, said, NY Times reports.
Tierra Whack
Tierra Whack has been charged with disorderly conduct after bringing a loaded gun to the airport. pic.twitter.com/6Iw4Df1rz8
— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) November 9, 2022
Law enforcement searched Whack’s bag at an X-ray checkpoint inside Philadelphia International Airport where the gun was discovered. The firearm was loaded with six live rounds.
Philly Rapper Tierra Whack Arrested for
bringing Loaded Gun to Airport pic.twitter.com/hIgPR9waY9— PhillyFirst48 (@johnnywitdamac) November 9, 2022
According to TMZ, authorities think it was a genuine mistake and that Whack wasn’t intentionally trying to bring the weapon onboard. Allegedly the gun was confiscated while Whack was held for questioning and was issued a disorderly conduct citation.
According to WPVI, a report stated that Whack is licensed to carry in the state of Pennsylvania. Whack and her team have not addressed the headlines, but she isn’t the first or last artist to be pulled to the side for their packed items.
Rich The Kid
Rich The Kid was arrested today at LAX for reportedly having a loaded gun in his luggage!
( 🎥: @TMZ ) pic.twitter.com/aVFWaVUu7T— NOIR ONLINE (@noironlineorg_) March 15, 2021
In March of 2021, LA native artist Rich The Kid was stopped at Los Angeles International Airport after packing his firearm in his carry-on luggage.
Zonnique Pulins
Zonnique Pulins, stepdaughter of rapper T.I., was arrested & charged for carrying a .380 through Atlanta airport. pic.twitter.com/uEMzA6s6cy
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) June 18, 2016
Another young celeb busted for carrying through the TSA is O.M.G Girlz artist and T.I’s daughter, Zonnique Pullins, in 2016. Pullins was arrested at Hartfield’s-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta after a TSA agent working the X-ray machine peeped her gun inside the bag.
According to TMZ, Pullins told TSA workers she had a weapons permit but couldn’t provide the correct paperwork to support her claims. She was charged with carrying a concealed weapon in an unauthorized area and released the following morning.
Kamaiyah
Rapper Kamaiyah Arrested At The Airport For Allegedly Having A Loaded Gun In Her Handbag https://t.co/CP47qnhOUX pic.twitter.com/5Tw15yxXse
— theJasmineBRAND (@thejasminebrand) September 7, 2022
Oakland artist, Kamaiyah, is another celeb arrested in her hometown airport for carrying a weapon in August, TMZ reports.
Kamaiyah was busted at an airport with a loaded gun on a flight from Burbank to Oakland, California, when TSA agents found a loaded .380 semi-automatic pistol inside her purse. She was arrested, charged and held on a $70,000 bail before posting bond.
8.5.22 Divine Timing Deluxe (Reloaded) pic.twitter.com/CwtoC2JmGV
— ill yaya (@kamaiyah) July 27, 2022
During the time, Kamaiyah had a warrant for her arrest following her 2019 stunt. She allegedly fired off a round inside a movie screening room at a Burbank condominium complex hence the heavy bail rate.
Juelz Santana
In 2018, Newark Liberty International Airport TSA found a .38-caliber handgun and oxycodone pills in Juelz Santana‘s luggage. The NY artist fled the scene, later turning himself into Port Authority police where he was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a weapon on an aircraft, unlawful possession of a weapon and drug possession.
Too Short
In 2014, Oakland legend, Todd Anthony Shaw, known as the artist Too Short, was arrested at the Burbank Airport after a handgun was found in his carry-on bag. Police said Too Short left the airport without his bags before he could be arrested and returned with his Attorney. He was arrested for possessing a loaded handgun in a public place and released soon after.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg was caught with a firearm at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, in 2006 when police initially handed him a ticket for a loaded zone violation at the airport. The police searched Snoop’s car and found a gun and weed, prompting them to arrest him with gun and possession charges. A year later, he accepted a probation deal of community service.
It’s understandable why many artists feel the need to carry since a thread of rappers has lost their lives to guns but, How do you feel about them personally carrying when they can have security?