SALISBURY, Md. – Transportation Security Administration officers at Salisbury Regional Airport stopped a Wicomico County. Maryland, woman with a loaded handgun as she was escorting her child through the airport’s checkpoint.
The Salisbury, Maryland, resident was not ticketed to fly, rather she requested that the airline provide her with a “gate pass” for the purpose of escorting her child to the gate for a flight. The woman was found to be in possession of a .38 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber. It was detected when the woman’s bag entered the TSA checkpoint X-ray machine, where the gun was spotted by a TSA officer who was staffing the X-ray monitor.
It was the first firearm detected at the airport this year. One firearm was detected at the airport in 2017.
TSA officers notified the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department, which responded to the checkpoint and detained her for questioning.
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,000 for weapons violations. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online.
###