TSA officers at BWI International Airport detected this loaded handgun in a traveler’s carry-on bag on May 23. It was the 13th gun caught at the airport so far this year. (TSA photo)
LINTHICUM, Md. - A second resident of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, has been caught with a loaded gun at a Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) checkpoint by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in two days.
Yesterday, May 23, a Pasadena, Maryland, man was stopped with a 9 mm handgun loaded with seven bullets including one in the chamber, along with a spare magazine clip loaded with seven additional bullets. The incident took place just one day after a Glen Burnie, Maryland, woman was caught with a loaded .38-caliber handgun at one of the security checkpoints on May 22.
A TSA officer spotted the man’s handgun in the checkpoint X-ray machines on Thursday and contacted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the man for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges.
It marked the 13th handgun caught by TSA at the airport so far this year, already more than half of the number stopped during all 12 months of 2018 when TSA officers caught 22 firearms at the airport checkpoints. If the number of guns that travelers bring to BWI checkpoints continues at this pace, it is likely to set a record for guns at the airport checkpoints well before the end of the year. TSA would prefer to see that trend go in the opposite direction with fewer travelers bringing their guns to checkpoints.
TSA Firearm Catches at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Firearms caught in 2016 | Firearms caught in 2017 | Firearms caught in 2018 | Firearms caught in 2019 (As of 5-23-19) | |
BWI Airport | 24 | 26 | 22 | 13 |
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.
Nationwide last year, 4,239 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging about 11.6 firearms per day, approximately a 7% increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 3,957 detected in 2017. Eighty-six percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded and nearly 34% had a bullet in the chamber.
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with concealed firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes in their carry-on bags. If an individual is a TSA Pre✓® member, that person could even lose TSA Pre✓® status. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,333 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.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.