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SecurityActive today · day 2

TSA finds 4-inch knife in baseball bat flashlight at Tampa airport

A passenger was arrested after officers discovered a concealed double-edged blade hidden inside a carry-on item.

newest coverage 19h agosummary written 1d ago10 pieces1 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • TSA officers discovered a 4-inch double-edged knife concealed inside a baseball bat-shaped flashlight at Tampa International Airport on September 21, 2026.
  • The passenger admitted after police arrival that he intentionally hid the knife beneath the bag's lining to save space.
  • The passenger was arrested and prevented from traveling; intentional concealment of blades is treated as a grave security concern.
  • TSA screening detected the weapon through X-ray imaging and physical search, demonstrating the effectiveness of security protocols.

“That is when it detached from the flashlight — revealing a 4-inch double-edged knife integrated into the handle.”

Supervisory TSA Officer Michael Slaughter, Supervisory officer at Tampa International Airport · Fox News ↗

TSA Officer Andrew Carter Screening officer at Tampa International AirportSupervisory TSA Officer Michael Slaughter Supervisory officer at Tampa International AirportKeith Jeffries Former TSA security director, K2 Security Screening Group VPThe passenger Traveler at Tampa International Airport

TSA finds 4-inch knife in baseball bat flashlight at Tampa airport
foxnews.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 7 pieces in one hour at Yesterday, 6 AM; 10 pieces over 3 days (8 articles · 2 posts) Sep 21, 2 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — 7 pieces · 6 articles · 1 post — Newswires 6, Mastodon 1Yesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quiet 1
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 2:56 AM ET
  1. 1

    Passenger arrested; TSA confirms travel prohibition

    The passenger was arrested at Tampa International Airport and was not allowed to travel, according to TSA statements. The discovery underscores the agency's screening capabilities.

    “The makeup and composition of the flashlight appeared unusual and outside what I typically expect, so I determined it required further examination.”
    — TSA Officer Andrew Carter, Screening officer at Tampa International Airport · source
    1. 5 outlets Frightening object caught by TSA inside passenger's baseball bat-shaped flashlight

      first by Fox News, 2d ago · also NY Post, PennLive, MassLive, The Oregonian

      2 more headlines
  2. background

    Former TSA official warns of dangers of artful concealment — Keith Jeffries, former federal security director for TSA at Los Angeles International Airport, distinguished this case from instances where passengers unknowingly carry concealed blades, noting the intentional concealment raises grave security concerns.

  3. background

    Passenger admits to intentionally concealing knife in luggage — When questioned, the passenger initially claimed he did not know the item was in his bag. After airport police arrived, he said he had placed the knife beneath the suitcase lining to save space.

  4. background

    TSA discovers knife inside baseball bat-shaped flashlight at Tampa International Airport — TSA Officer Andrew Carter flagged a carry-on bag during X-ray screening after noticing the flashlight's unusual composition. Supervisory Officer Michael Slaughter then searched the bag, found a mass beneath the lining, and discovered a 4-inch double-edged knife integrated into the flashlight's handle.