Man Takes Loaded Gun Past Checks Onto Plane

A man carried a loaded gun through security checkpoints at the New Orleans airport and boarded a Southwest Airlines flight before turning the weapon over to a flight attendant.

FBI spokesman Ed Hall said the man, whose identity was not disclosed, did not realize he had the Derringer in his briefcase until the Boeing 737 had left for Phoenix.

The FBI questioned the man Tuesday in Phoenix, but he was not charged because he had no intent to commit a crime, Hall said.

The incident is under investigation. One employee of International Total Services, the company that provides security at the New Orleans airport, has been suspended, ITS spokesman Pat Gallagher said.