Security Check: Seattle TSA Agents Seize Unusual Carry-On Weapon

Transportation Security Administration agents at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport identified an unusual object in a carry-on bag this week. The item, described by the agency as resembling a blend of comic book and horror movie props, was removed from a passenger's luggage during a routine screening.

Officers Douglas Linn and Dennis Oishi detected the object while reviewing X-ray images at a security checkpoint. Linn, who first flagged the bag for further inspection, stated that the screen displayed three blades with distinct claw-like features. He noted that he had not seen anything similar during his two years of service at the TSA. After Linn identified the item, Oishi physically searched the bag and retrieved the object.

The TSA characterized the find as looking like a mix between Wolverine-style claws and Freddy Krueger blades. References to these specific fictional characters helped illustrate the unique shape of the object. The agency stated that the discovery serves as a reminder that certain accessories are better suited for movie screens than airplane cabins.

The passenger told officers that he had simply forgotten the item was in his luggage. After Oishi removed the blades, the traveler voluntarily abandoned them at the checkpoint rather than placing them in a different bag or checking them in.

Supervisory TSA officer Ann Rhoades said the blades ranked among the most unusual items she had encountered in her seven years with the agency. She recalled that her immediate reaction was to question whether she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. The TSA shared photos of the apparatus on the social media platform X on Tuesday, adding a humorous note about packing such items in checked bags.

Current TSA guidelines allow travelers to pack sharp objects, including box cutters, corkscrews, darts, and knives, in checked baggage. The rules require that these items be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors during transport.