TSA officers at Reagan National Airport intercepted this loaded gun at a security checkpoint on August 8. (TSA photo)
ARLINGTON, Va. – A Silver Spring, Md., woman was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport intercepted a gun among the woman’s carry-on items. The 9mm firearm was loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber.
When TSA officers intercepted the firearm and notified police, the Washington Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the weapon and issued her a criminal citation.
Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and the travelers face a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“It is troubling to see travelers continue to bring their firearms to our checkpoints instead of properly packing them for a flight,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “A loaded, unsecured firearm, with an unwitting owner, is just a tragedy waiting to happen. Nearly all the travelers we encounter with a firearm say, ‘I forgot it was there…’ That is very concerning. If you want to travel with your firearm, all that we ask is that you pack it the right way. It is a fairly simple process. For starters, it needs to be unloaded. Pack the unloaded gun in a hard-sided locked case. Take the case to the airline check-in counter and declare that you want to fly with it. The airline will make sure it is transported to your destination in the belly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight. It really is that easy.”
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 2024
|
Year |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 (As of 8/8/24) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Guns caught at the Reagan National Airport checkpoints |
16 |
14 |
10 |
30 |
29 |
39 |
26 |
Bringing a firearm 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.
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).