Charges dropped: York County man takes loaded handgun to HIA, police say
Jeffrey Thyng, 35, of the 400 block of Sugar Drive, brought a loaded handgun to Harrisburg International Airport, according to police and TSA.
Teresa BoeckelUPDATE: The summary offense was dismissed on April 1, 2019, according to court records.
Reported earlier:
A Newberry Township man brought a loaded handgun to a checkpoint at Harrisburg International Airport on Friday, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Jeffrey Thyng, 35, of the 400 block of Sugar Drive, has been cited with disorderly conduct, Harrisburg International Airport Police Chief Laurence Miller said.
Transportation Security Administration officers detected a loaded gun in Thyng's carry-on bag and stopped him, according to a TSA news release. The gun was a .380-caliber firearm that was loaded with six bullets.
Thyng told officers that he forgot he had a loaded gun with him, said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the TSA.
He had a permit to carry the weapon, Miller said. However, his actions caused an inconvenience and alarm to other passengers.
Thyng is the fourth person from York County to allegedly bring a handgun to an airport checkpoint. Three were arrested at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in the past two years.
The others arrested were:
- John James Spanos, 48, of the 1400 block of Turnberry Court in Spring Garden Township, was arrested May 14 after police say he had a loaded .357-caliber handgun in his carry-on luggage, according to TSA and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. Spanos was charged with transporting a firearm on him and carrying an unauthorized weapon in the airport.
- Alessandro Zangari, 51, of the first block of Paddock Court in Newberry Township, was charged because he allegedly had a .380-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag at the airport on April 21, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. The gun was loaded with seven bullets – including one in the chamber. Zangari was charged with wearing/transporting a firearm on his person and interfering with security proceedures.
- Joseph John Giandalia, 56, of Wrightsville, was arrested last year after he allegedly brought an unloaded 9mm handgun in his carry-on bag, according to TSA and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
A Lancaster County woman told authorities that her husband had packed a loaded gun in her suitcase, when she was arrested at BWI in June, according to the TSA. Ramona J. Bachman, 66, of the 300 block of Oak Leaf Lane, was charged with handgun on a person and unauthorized weapon in an airport, according to court records.
Thyng could not be reached for comment.
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Individuals who bring firearms to an airport checkpoint can face criminal charges, the news release states. "Even travelers with conceal carry permits are not allowed to bring guns past TSA checkpoints."
To find out how to properly travel with a firearm, visit the TSA website. Travelers also should check with their airline to see what its rules are as well, the release states.
