Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a man from carrying a loaded firearm onto an airplane at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on Tuesday, February 27.
During Tuesday morning security screening at Charlie checkpoint, a TSA officer detected a firearm in a male passenger’s carry-on bag. TSA officers immediately alerted the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) who confirmed there was a loaded .45 caliber firearm and a magazine containing a total of nine rounds in the man’s carry-on bag. During questioning, the South Carolina man stated he forgot the gun was in his bag. A CMPD trooper eventually took possession of the firearm and allowed the passenger to continue.
“For the safety of the traveling public, I strongly urge all gun owners to double check the contents of their carry-on bags and ensure they know where their firearms are before traveling to the airport,” said Beth Walker, TSA’s Federal Security Director at CLT.
TSA officers have now detected 16 firearms at CLT security screening checkpoints in 2024.
TSA Security Checkpoint Firearm Detections at CLT (2020 – 2023):
| CODE | AIRPORT | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| CLT | Charlotte Douglas International | 124 | 117 | 106 | 53 |