Portion Of Tampa International Evacuated After Passenger Found With Handgun

TAMPA, FLORIDA — An individual is facing charges following an incident at Tampa International Airport where he was reportedly discovered with a gun at a TSA checkpoint, leading to an evacuation of the Airside F terminal on Friday evening.

The man was found with a firearm in his luggage around 8 p.m., instigating an immediate security response. All passengers were removed from the terminal, enabling a comprehensive safety sweep by airport police. Normal operations resumed approximately at 9:45 p.m., following a re-screening process for the passengers.

The accused, yet to be identified, will be prosecuted for weapon possession within the terminal and evidence tampering as he allegedly relocated the firearm. Footage on social media, seen below, captured passengers leaving the terminal amid the sound of alarms.

weirdest series of events after security scare???@FlyTPA pic.twitter.com/6FGRT42zup

— Erica Lefaive (@ericalefaive) August 5, 2023

Officials reported that while about twelve flights were affected, no cancellations occurred.