LINTHICUM, Md. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) stopped an Anne Arundel County, Maryland, man with a loaded handgun at one of the airport’s checkpoints on Saturday, June 23, marking the 12th gun caught at the airport so far this year. Two days earlier, a Prince George’s County man also was stopped with a gun at the airport. Both individuals were arrested.
Saturday’s traveler, a resident of Annapolis, Maryland, was found to have a .40 caliber gun loaded with 12 bullets in his carry-on luggage when the carry-on bag entered the TSA checkpoint X-ray machine. That’s where the gun was spotted by a TSA officer who was staffing the X-ray monitor.
TSA contacted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who reported to the checkpoint, confiscated the loaded gun, and arrested the man on weapons charges. It was the 12th gun that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoints so far this year. Last year TSA officers detected 26 firearms at the airport’s checkpoints.
TSA Firearm Catches at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
| Airport |
Firearms Caught in 2016 |
Firearms caught in 2017 |
Firearms caught in 2018 (as of 6-24-18) |
| BWI Airport | 24 | 26 | 12 |
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,000 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’s website also has details on how to properly travel with a firearm. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.