TSA officers catch two guns at Richmond International Airport on Sunday: New record set

Local Press Release
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
This handgun was detected by TSA officers in the carry-on bag of a Midlothian, Va. man at Richmond International Airport on Dec. 18.

RICHMOND, Va. – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) team at Richmond International Airport caught two individuals with loaded guns at the security checkpoints on Sunday, Dec. 18. Marking the 22nd and 23rd guns caught by TSA this year, setting a new annual record for the number of firearms stopped at the airport’s security checkpoints.

The incidents were not related, however, each individual claimed that they forgot that they had their loaded guns with them.

The first stop was a Midlothian, Va., man with a .22 caliber handgun and two gun magazines, each loaded with 10 bullets. The gun and ammunition were confiscated by the police, who charged and then released the man with two summonses to appear at a later date.

The second stop was a Mechanicsville, Va., woman with a 9mm handgun loaded with 11 bullets, including one in the chamber. The gun and ammunition also were confiscated by the police, who charged the woman and issued her a summons to appear at a later date. 

This handgun was detected by TSA officers in the carry-on bag of a Mechanicsville, Va. woman at Richmond International Airport on Sunday, Dec. 18.
This handgun was detected by TSA officers in the carry-on bag of a Mechanicsville, Va. woman at Richmond International Airport on Sunday, Dec. 18.

“Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on the mission—especially during the busy holiday travel period,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. These individuals now face stiff financial civil penalties. The penalty for carrying a weapon recently increased to a maximum of $15,000. This applies to travelers who attempt to bring a firearm through the checkpoint regardless of their concealed carry permit status. Travelers are only permitted to bring their weapon on a trip if it is packed properly in their checked baggage."

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint. This penalty applies to travelers regardless of their concealed carry permit status. Members of TSA PreCheck® who travel with a gun in carry-on baggage will lose that privilege for five years.  The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.

Guns caught at Richmond International Airport checkpoints from 2015 to 2022

Guns caught by year

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

(As of 12/19/22)

RIC Airport

6

10

18

14

14

22

20

23

Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. 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.

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.  Additionally, travelers should 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 in 2021. Of the guns caught by TSA last year, about 86 percent were loaded. TSA has already surpassed the 2021 figure and is currently on track to detect approximately 6,600 firearms at security checkpoints by the end of 2022, which will be a new record.

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