LINTHICUM, Md. – Transportation Security Administration officers at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) caught a North Carolina man with a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag Oct. 20.
The man had the .380 caliber handgun in his carry-on bag. It was loaded with six bullets and was detected by a TSA officer when the man’s carry-on luggage entered the TSA checkpoint X-ray machine.
TSA contacted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and arrested the man on weapons charges. The man claimed he did not know that he was carrying his loaded gun with him.
It marked the 21st gun caught at one of the airport checkpoints so far this year. Last year TSA officers detected 26 firearms at the airport’s checkpoints.
When someone brings a firearm to a checkpoint, it closes the checkpoint lane until the situation can be resolved, thus forcing the other travelers to shift into another lane and delaying their passage through the checkpoint.
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 10-21-18) |
| BWI Airport | 24 | 26 | 21 |
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 has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.