Dwight Howard owes Texas lawmakers a big thank you. Howard brought a gun in his carry-on bag to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston last week but won't face any charges, ESPN reports.
Houston Police Department spokesperson Kese Smith told ESPN Wednesday that Howard was stopped inside the airport at 7 a.m. Friday.
Howard said he forgot the Glock 26 9mm was in his bag, according to TMZ Sports.
Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon told INSIDER his department isn't commenting on whether or not the gun was loaded, but he did confirm it was in Howard's bag.
After being detained, Howard was allowed to give the gun to a friend, re-enter the security line, and board a later flight, according to ESPN.
Texas lawmakers had just passed a new law that gave registered gun owners a mulligan of sorts if they accidentally bring a gun — loaded or unloaded — in a carry-on bag at an airport, according to the Dallas Morning News. Previously, doing so would be a third-degree felony. The change technically didn't take place until Tuesday, so it appears Howard simply caught a lucky break.
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