A Newport News, Va., man was arrested by police after TSA officers intercepted this .38 caliber handgun in the man’s carry-on bag on October 17. (TSA photo)
NORFOLK, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Norfolk International Airport intercepted three firearms last week, setting a new airport record.
Two firearms were prevented from being carried onto flights at Norfolk International Airport on Thursday, October 17, and another on Saturday, October 19, bringing the total number of firearms caught at the airport to 32 so far this year, which is the most firearms ever intercepted at the airport’s checkpoints in a single year. The previous high was 29 firearms detected, which was set just last year.
On October 17, A Newport News Va., man was stopped with a .38 caliber handgun. Police arrested him on weapons charges. In addition, a North Carolina resident had a 9 mm handgun that was loaded with 10 bullets. The incidents were not related.
Then on Saturday, October 19, a woman from Chesapeake, Va., was stopped with a loaded 9mm handgun. She told officials she forgot that she had her loaded gun with her. Police arrested her on a weapons charge.
In each instance, the firearms were detected as the individuals entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on their carry-on bags, which required a closer inspection. The firearms were removed and confiscated by the Norfolk Airport Authority Police. TSA does not confiscate firearms; law enforcement officers do.
“Last week’s detection of three firearms brings our annual total to 32, which surpasses our previous high point, which we recorded last year. However, this is not the type of record we want to set. We would much rather that individuals not bring their guns to our checkpoint,” explained Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport.
“When individuals bring their firearms to our checkpoints, they are introducing a risk to everyone in the area. It also slows down the checkpoint screening process for other travelers because when a gun is detected, the checkpoint lane comes to a complete halt until police arrive and remove the firearm and traveler from the checkpoint,” he added.
The cases will be forwarded to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney for possible criminal prosecution.
In addition to being criminally cited by police, the man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.
Firearms caught by TSA officers at Norfolk International Airport checkpoints, 2016 to 2024
Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 As of 10-20-24 |
Guns caught at Norfolk International Airport (ORF) checkpoints | 14 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 32 |
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 must 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.
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.
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).