TSA officers detected this loaded handgun at one of the checkpoints at Dulles Airport on Nov. 16. (TSA photo)
DULLES, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport stopped an Arizona man from bringing a handgun loaded with eight bullets and a box with 49 additional bullets onto an airplane on Monday, Nov. 16.
A TSA officer who was staffing the security checkpoint spotted the handgun when it appeared on the checkpoint X-ray monitor. TSA officials immediately alerted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police, who confiscated the handgun and briefly detained the man for questioning before citing him on a weapons charge.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident. Guns at checkpoints can delay travelers from getting to their gates.
Firearms caught at Washington Dulles International Airport checkpoints, 2015 to 2020
|
Year |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 (As of 11-16-20) |
|
Number of firearms caught |
16 |
21 |
16 |
17 |
19 |
6 |
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.