LINTHICUM, Md. – Two more handguns were stopped by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport the past few days, bringing the number of guns caught during the first month of the young year to three.
On Friday, January 26, a Shepherdstown, West Virginia, man was stopped with a .357 caliber firearm loaded with nine bullets and on Sunday, Jan. 28, an Ellicott City, Maryland, resident was stopped with an unloaded firearm and a realistic replica gun that was a training aid. The Maryland man claimed that he was a firearms trainer, yet he was not familiar with the fact that Federal law prohibits bringing firearms—real or replica—to an airport checkpoint.
In each instance, TSA officials contacted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the weapons and arrested the travelers.
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on TSA.gov. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.