Latest news with #BesnikIsmajlaj
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
St. Charles man charged with bringing gun into O'Hare Airport due in court
A man will appear before a judge on Monday after police said he brought a loaded gun onto a flight at O'Hare airport in April. Besnik Ismajlaj, 53, of St. Charles, was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm at the airport. On April 15, a TSA spokesperson said one of their officers detected an image of a firearm during screening at Security Checkpoint 2 at Terminal 1, but before police could confiscate the gun, Ismajlaj reached inside the X-ray machine, grabbed the bag, and left for his flight. It was learned that TSA agents acknowledged seeing the gun on the X-ray machine, but did not alert police until after the passenger had already been cleared through security and boarded his flight. An incident report added that it happened "during a shift change." Police body camera footage showed officers confronting him on the plane and then taking him off the plane with a gun in his backpack. The CPD incident report states police asked the Cook County State's Attorney's office for upgraded charges against Ismajlaj, but the request was denied.
New York Post
14-05-2025
- New York Post
Video shows man dragged off plane after sneaking loaded gun through security at Chicago's O'Hare
Body camera footage shows the moment Chicago police arrested a passenger armed with a loaded gun on a plane at O'Hare International Airport — just minutes before takeoff. Besnik Ismajlaj, 53, slipped through security with the weapon during a shift change at a TSA security checkpoint last month and boarded his flight with the Glock 9mm semiautomatic in his carry-on bag, according to police. Newly released bodycam video shows Ismajlaj sitting in first class when authorities board and escort him off the aircraft. When the officers asked if he knew why they were there, he told them, 'Yeah, it's in my bag,' according to a police report obtained by CBS News. 'I forgot it,' he says to an officer once he's off the plane and he's placed in handcuffs, the clip shows. Ismajlaj appears calm and cooperative as the officers go through his backpack and find the pistol, according to the video. 3 Chicago cops escorted Ismajlaj off the plane on April 15. Chicago Police Department 3 Police found a semiautomatic pistol in Ismajlaj's backpack, video shows. Chicago Police Department Ismajlaj, of St. Charles, Ill., snuck the handgun through Security Checkpoint 2 at O'Hare's Terminal 1 during a TSA shift change on April 15. A TSA agent acknowledged seeing the gun on the X-ray machine, but Ismajlaj reached inside, grabbed his bag and left for his flight before they could confiscate it, TSA officials said, according to CBS. Another traveler waiting in the security line also provided cops with a description of what the gun-toting passenger looked like. Once he was removed from the plane and placed under arrest, the video shows cops loading him into the back of a police van on the tarmac and taking him to a holding room where he's read his Miranda rights. 3 Ismajlaj was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm at the airport. Chicago Police Department Ismajlaj was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm at the airport. He's due to appear in court on June 9.
CBS News
10-05-2025
- CBS News
Shift change blamed for man boarding flight with gun in backpack at O'Hare Airport
Chicago police released more details about the moments a gun made it through security at O'Hare Airport last month. Besnik Ismajlaj, 53, of St. Charles, was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm at the airport. Police body camera footage showed officers confronting and then taking him with a gun in his backpack off the plane. After walking him off to the jet bridge, they go through his bag, and he's placed under arrest. The Transportation Security Administration last month said officers detected an image of a firearm inside a bag going through Security Checkpoint 2 at Terminal 1 during the afternoon of April 15. Before Chicago Police could confiscate the gun, Ismajlaj reached inside the X-ray machine at the checkpoint, took the bag, and left for the gate, the TSA said. Police said they recovered a loaded 9mm Glock semiautomatic pistol from the backpack. CBS News Chicago learned TSA agents acknowledged seeing the gun on the X-ray machine, but did not alert police until after the passenger had already been cleared through security and boarded his flight. The arrest report released in the case appeared to blame the failure to apprehend him on the incident that happened during a shift change. CBS News Chicago contacted the TSA for clarity on why a shift change would've prevented someone with a gun from being taken into custody, but has yet to hear back.
CBS News
28-04-2025
- CBS News
Gun discharges while man tries to load it into case at O'Hare International Airport
Gun goes off when man tries to unload it at O'Hare Sunday morning Gun goes off when man tries to unload it at O'Hare Sunday morning Gun goes off when man tries to unload it at O'Hare Sunday morning A gun went off at O'Hare International Airport Sunday morning. Chicago Police said at 6:50 a.m. Sunday at Terminal 3, a 50-year-old man was attempting to load a firearm inside a metal gun case when the gun discharged. The Transportation Security Administration said the incident happened at the American Airlines baggage check-in counter. The agency had no further information. The man had a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card. No one was hurt and no one was arrested. In an unrelated event two weeks ago Tuesday, a man was arrested after he got a gun onto a United Airlines flight at O'Hare International Airport. Besnik Ismajlaj, 53, of St. Charles, was charged last week with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration said officers detected an image of a firearm inside a bag going through Security Checkpoint 2 at Terminal 1 the afternoon of April 15. Before Chicago Police could confiscate the gun, Ismajlaj reached inside the X-ray machine at the checkpoint, took the bag, and left for the gate, the TSA said. Video showed airport employees making a path down the middle of Terminal 1 as officers ran through. They were searching for Ismajlaj as he was headed to his gate with a gun. He was able to make it onto a United Airlines flight before Chicago Police and TSA officers tracked him down.
CBS News
16-04-2025
- CBS News
Passenger charged after bringing gun to Chicago O'Hare International Airport
A St. Charles man was charged after bringing a gun in his bag to Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. Police said Besnik Ismajlaj, 53, was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration said officers detected an image of a firearm inside a bag going through Security Checkpoint 2 at Terminal 1. Before Chicago police could confiscate the gun, the Ismajlaj reached inside the X-ray machine at the checkpoint, took the bag, and left for the gate, the TSA said. Video showed airport employees making a path down the middle of Terminal 1 as officers ran through. They were searching for Ismajlaj as he was headed to his gate with a gun. One social media user posted, "CPD just yanked a guy off my flight at O'Hare," and added, "Now they made us deplane and do a full security sweep of the plane." A police source told CBS News Chicago the man arrested was a Firearm Owners Identification Card and concealed carry license holder. Ismajlaj is expected in court on June 9.
