TSA at BWI Airport sets record for most guns caught in a single year with two months remaining

BALTIMORE – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) have detected 28 firearms at the airport’s security checkpoints so far this year, surpassing the previous record of 27 caught in 2019—all with two more months remaining in the year. Twenty-three of the 28 guns caught have been loaded, including seven that were caught during a 10-day span, from Oct. 14 to 23.

“There seems to be a sudden epidemic of guns that travelers are bringing to our security checkpoints,” said Christopher Murgia, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Maryland. “I don’t know exactly why this is happening, but what I do know is that it needs to stop.”

The most common excuse given by travelers is that they claim that they “forgot” that they had their loaded guns with them.

“Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on their mission,” Murgia said. “If you own a firearm, it is your responsibility to know where it is at all times and know that it cannot go through an airport security checkpoint. Claiming that you forgot that you had your gun with you is no excuse. The fact that the vast majority of the guns we catch are loaded is an accident waiting to happen.”

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty of up to $13,900 to individuals who bring weapons with them to a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating or aggravating 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. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police partner with TSA on all gun-related incidents at BWI and the “bottom line is if you bring a gun – loaded or unloaded – to the security checkpoint, you will pay a potentially hefty fine. Be sure to educate yourself about how to properly travel with a firearm before you go,” said MDTA Police Chief Colonel Kevin Anderson.

Travelers are allowed to transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and travelers should check into firearm laws before they decide to travel with their guns. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

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.

“Security remains our highest priority, and I commend our security and law enforcement partners for working to ensure the safety of our passengers and employees,” said Ricky Smith, Executive Director of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their bags, and we want to remind everyone that firearms may not be transported in carry-on bags. Customers who own firearms should leave their guns at home or pack them properly to be transported in checked baggage.”

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2021, about 86 percent were loaded.