This gun was detected by TSA in a traveler’s carry-on bag at Washington Dulles International Airport on Dec. 9. (TSA photo)
DULLES, Va. – A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) prevented a Florida resident from bringing a loaded handgun onto her flight on Friday, Dec. 9. The 9mm handgun was loaded with eight bullets, including one in the chamber.
The weapon was caught as the woman entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA officer who was staffing the X-ray and the carry-on bag was inspected and a firearm discovered inside. TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police who confiscated the gun and cited the woman on a weapons charge. She told officials that she forgot that she was carrying her loaded gun.
“Our TSA officers continue to remain on top of preventing loaded firearms from entering the secure area of the airport,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Forgetting that you are carrying a loaded firearm is a public safety concern, as it could accidentally be discharged. Responsible gun owners need to know where their firearm is at all times.”
Firearms are not permitted through a security checkpoint because passengers should not have access
to a firearm during a flight. This even applies to travelers with concealed carry permits or are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program. Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint face a stiff federal financial civil penalty.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the locked case should 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. 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.
Firearms Caught at the Washington Dulles International Airport checkpoints, 2017 to 2022
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 (As of 12/11/22) |
|
Guns caught |
16 |
17 |
19 |
7 |
19 |
22 |
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 handgun 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 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. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
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.