Travelers at LaGuardia International Airport experienced heightened tension when a grenade was discovered inside a passenger's carry-on luggage. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirmed the incident, which occurred yesterday, with the passenger stating he had received the grenade as a memento from a museum. Despite its potential for alarm, the grenade was inert — a fact that the TSA quickly ascertained, ensuring no real danger was presented to the public.
Upon finding the grenade, TSA officers had to thoroughly investigate; this led to the determination that the device was hollowed out and safe, as reported by Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the agency. "Yes, it’s a real grenade. Fortunately it was inert," Farbstein shared in a caption alongside a photo of the explosive, an image which was obtained by NBC New York. This inert status meant no arrest was deemed necessary by the Port Authority Police, and the man was allowed to hastily continue on to his flight, minus his unusual gift.
Although the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which has jurisdiction over LaGuardia, did not press charges, they did not outright ignore the incident either. The inert grenade was confiscated and is slated to be used in future training exercises, a standard practice to aid in the preparedness for more genuine threats. This protocol follows the TSA's mandate to ensure the security and safety of passengers while maintaining a certain level of discretion and practicality in their assessments.
Notably, this event unfolds just over a month after a bomb scare at the same airport prompted a temporary evacuation of Terminal B and suspended several flights. That situation ended after the NYPD Bomb Squad was called to investigate a suspicious package, eventually found to pose no threat, as detailed by NY Daily News. The latest discovery served to remind passengers to always remain vigilant about the contents of their luggage, and to thoroughly check to comply with regulations designed to ensure the overall safety of air travel.
