TSA finds gun hidden in LEGO box and boot at New Jersey airport

NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) – TSA agents arrested a man who wasn’t playing by the rules at Newark International Airport.

Authorities say they found a dissembled firearm hidden inside a LEGO box and a boot at a security checkpoint in Terminal A on Wednesday.

Parts of the gun, including 12 bullets, were mixed with plastic pieces of a Black Panther LEGO set, according to TSA police. Meanwhile, the gun frame was jammed in a boot and hidden below a stuffed sock.

“He kept changing his story, first telling us that it was a toy gun and then claiming that it belonged to his brother,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey.  “This is an example of someone who was intentionally attempting to carry a gun onto a flight.”

Officials say the man was from Mississippi and was heading to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The flyer now faces criminal charges and a fine of as much as $15,000.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here .

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