With my first flight to Washington, DC earlier this month, it also came with my first time packing for a flight. I spent many hours on this website from the TSA, where you can search for an item and it’ll tell you if it’s allowed and where you have to pack it. (After searching for actual items I needed to know about, I looked at random items you can and can’t bring, like antlers, bowling pins, light sabers [not really], live coral, and snowglobes.)

Maybe this would have been helpful to New England Patriot Jack Jones before he was arrested for trying to bring two loaded guns in a carry-on bag at Logan airport on Friday night. He now faces several charges including carrying a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a large-capacity feeding device (CBS News).

He was arraigned today in court and pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of an airport, possession of ammunition without an FID card, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of a large capacity feeding device (CBS News).

The guns were found in his duffel bag along with some clothes, and his attorney said, “He had no intention of bringing any guns into Logan Airport that day. He had no intention of bringing any guns [into] an airport that day.” (CBS News) Uh, did he not realize the guns were in his duffel bag when he packed his clothes? Is the duffel bag his usual way to transport his guns? Did he just forget they were in the bag?

Now, if Jones had used the TSA website, he would have seen the following after searching for “firearm”:

(The guidelines link provides much more details about traveling with guns.)

So he just casually tries to bring his guns in his carry-on while I was paranoid that TSA was going to judge how I packed my bags and that I was bringing a stuffed animal in my carry-on. My main concern was how to pack my medications so that I didn’t get in trouble; I brought all of my prescription bottles in a clear Ziploc gallon bag and didn’t get flagged, so it worked. But, again, bringing your guns in a carry-on? He was on his way to Los Angeles, not sure if it was Pats-related, but why would he need two handguns?

“If he were convicted and sentenced consecutively on each charge, he’d face more than 30 years in prison,” said James Borghesani, a spokesperson for Suffolk District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden’s office.

…

“Jones is in a lot of trouble. He’s in a lot of trouble because he’s been charged with multiple offenses,” [legal expert Michael] McCann recently told NBC Sports Boston. “They’re serious offenses, including a large capacity feeding device which goes to rounds and ballistics, and possession of a gun in an airport, loaded firearm — there’s a lot of stuff that he’s been charged with.

Sports Illustrated

Jones is 25 years old and in his second year with the Pats, and this isn’t looking good for him. Did he not double-check his duffel bag before leaving for the airport? I think I quadruple-checked my bags before we left for DC, but I was more worried about not having enough pairs of socks, not if I forgot to take my handguns out of my bags.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Pats react to this arrest; so far the team just said they’re aware of the arrest and are gathering more information. Maybe during training camp, they should hold a session on how to properly pack your luggage for the airport. It’s a good thing footballs and football helmets are allowed in both carry-on and checked bags.