A Silver Spring, Md., woman was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport intercepted a gun among the woman’s carry-on items. The 9mm firearm was loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber.
When TSA officers intercepted the firearm and notified police, the Washington Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the weapon and issued her a criminal citation.
Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and the travelers face a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“It is troubling to see travelers continue to bring their firearms to our checkpoints instead of properly packing them for a flight,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “A loaded, unsecured firearm, with an unwitting owner, is just a tragedy waiting to happen. Nearly all the travelers we encounter with a firearm say, ‘I forgot it was there…’ That is very concerning. If you want to travel with your firearm, all that we ask is that you pack it the right way. It is a fairly simple process. For starters, it needs to be unloaded. Pack the unloaded gun in a hard-sided locked case. Take the case to the airline check-in counter and declare that you want to fly with it. The airline will make sure it is transported to your destination in the belly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight. It really is that easy.”