Pistol in Carry-On Bag Fired by Mistake

Travelers heading through airport security in Atlanta yesterday got a free shot of adrenaline when a gun from a carry-on bag accidentally went off, CNN reports. A TSA screener at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had found the .22 in a bag and given it to an Atlanta police officer—who promptly fired it against the screening table. "I was grazed by a pellet fragment on the left side of my face," the officer wrote in his report. "However, there were no visible injuries."

Traveler Richard Popkin said he'd put the gun in his carry-on by mistake. In fact he had planned to tuck the bag in his checked luggage, but worried it would go over the weight limit. He was arrested for carrying a deadly weapon at a public gathering, police say. So far this year, airport personnel say they've already found more than 1,100 firearms at security checkpoints. A note for anyone planning to take a favorite firearm on-board: The TSA always considers it a no-no. (More TSA stories.)