This loaded handgun was packed inside a man’s carry-on bag and was detected by TSA officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Oct. 16. (TSA photo)
ARLINGTON, Va. – A Bethesda, Md., man was arrested by police after he was stopped by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers with a loaded handgun at one of the checkpoints at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday, Oct. 16. The .40 caliber gun was loaded with 13 bullets and was packed in the man’s carry-on bag.
It was the 30th gun that TSA officers at the airport have detected a gun at one of the checkpoints, which ties the record set in 2021 and follows a national trend in seeing a spike in the number of travelers who are bringing guns to airport checkpoints across the country.
The gun was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA to take a closer look and inspect the carry-on bag, which was opened by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police for a closer inspection. Police confiscated the gun and arrested the man.
Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and now the man faces a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“Our officers are good at their jobs and kept a dangerous weapon from being carried onto a flight,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “This was the 30th gun that our officers have seen travelers bring to one of our checkpoints this year, which ties a record with 2 ½ months remaining in the year. Let me be perfectly clear--under no circumstances are travelers permitted to carry a firearm through a security checkpoint. This individual created a potentially dangerous situation through his own actions.”
Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded then packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
TSA firearms caught at TSA checkpoints at Reagan National Airport, 2018 to 2023
| Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
2023 (As of 10/16/23) |
| Guns caught at the Reagan National Airport checkpoints | 16 | 14 | 10 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and gun owners have a duty to ensure they are not violating any local firearm laws. Additionally, contacting the respective airline could reveal any additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. So far this year more than 5,000 handguns have been stopped at security checkpoints by TSA officers across the country, which is on track to set a new annual record.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
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