(WRAL) — A man named Cliff Waddell has concerns over airport security after a gun in his bag was not detected by TSA.
Waddell passed through security at RDU International Airport without any problems. The next day, a security screening at Nashville International Airport didn't go as expected.
“My first reaction was that can't be my bag, and then they confirmed it was mine. [They described] it to me and I said, 'yes that's my bag.' And I looked at the screen and it was a very clear image of a firearm in my book bag,” said Waddell.
TSA would not confirm that the gun was loaded when it went through the RDU checkpoint where it was undetected, but it was loaded when the 38-caliber revolver was discovered at TSA PreCheck in Nashville.
"My truck is in the shop getting repairs and recently, you know, when I put it in the shop, took some things out of my truck including my firearm,” said Waddell.
Passengers flying in and out of our RDU International Airport are puzzled over the security breach.
"They go through the backpacks and [the bag] goes through a machine, how? They make you take out everything,” said one passenger.
“That's immediate termination. That's immediate term… Everybody, when they review these cameras, everybody that was on that line need to go home because they're jeopardizing now not just themselves, they're jeopardizing a flight that might have 150 people,” said Andre Dawkins, another passenger.
Waddell reached out to news station WRAL with his story. Reporter Aaron Thomas asked Waddell, “Why did you reach out to WRAL with this?”
Waddell responded: “Well, primarily, I mean, it's, it's, you know, this is something that I take responsibility for, as far as, you know, not thoroughly checking my bag. I mean, it's, it's easy to do so, the fact that it was just so easily undetected, was very alarming.”
TSA said 2022 was a record year for firearms getting caught at checkpoints, and it continues to be a challenge.
The agency wouldn't say if the gun was loaded when it passed the checkpoint in Raleigh, but it was loaded when it was discovered in Nashville.
TSA says Tennessee law enforcement will decide if the singer-songwriter will face charges.
