TSA officers at Reagan National Airport intercepted this gun at a TSA security checkpoint on December 9. (TSA photo)
ARLINGTON, Va. – A West Virginia woman was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers intercepted a loaded gun among her carry-on items on Monday, December 9. The .380 caliber handgun was loaded with seven bullets. It marked the 39th firearm that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoints so far this year, which ties the record for the most guns removed from carry-on bags in a single year at the airport.
When TSA officers intercepted the firearm in the woman’s backpack, they notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and issued a citation to the woman, a resident of Falling Waters, W.Va. Additionally, she faces a Federal civil penalty for bringing a loaded firearm to a TSA checkpoint. The Federal penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“Monday’s gun marked the 39th firearm that our officers have intercepted so far this year, which ties our annual record with several weeks left in the year,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “The next firearm that our officers intercept will set a record, and this is certainly not the type of record we want to set. We would much rather see fewer travelers bringing their guns to our checkpoints. Anyone who wants to transport their firearm to their destination may do so simply by placing their unloaded gun in a locked hard-sided case and taking it to their airline check-in counter. The airline will ensure it is transported in the belly of the plane where nobody has access to it during a flight.”
Busch commended the officers for their continued vigilance in detecting firearms. “Our team is good at what they do and I thank them daily for remaining focused on our mission. Our goal is to ensure that people get to their destinations safely and get home safely.”
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 12/9/24) |
| Guns caught at the Reagan National Airport checkpoints | 16 | 14 | 10 | 30 | 29 | 39 | 39 |
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/aggravating 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).