31st Gun Caught By TSA In 2023 Sets Record At Reagan National Airport

ARLINGTON, VA — A Virginia man was caught by Transportation Security Administration officers early Monday morning with trying to bring a loaded handgun onto an airplane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to officials.

It was the 31st gun that TSA officers at Reagan National Airport have detected at one of the airport’s checkpoints so far in 2023, a new record for the most guns caught in a single year.

The record number of guns that travelers have tried to bring onto planes at Reagan National Airport follows a national trend in seeing a spike in the number of travelers who are bringing guns to airport checkpoints across the country, the TSA said.

The man, Charles Curtis Miller, 42, of Berryville was trying to bring a 9mm gun with 14 bullets onto his flight, according to officials. The gun was packed in the man’s carry-on bag.

The gun was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA to take a closer look inside the carry-on bag. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police confiscated the gun.

The man told officials that he thought he put the gun in a lock box at home, and forgot it was in his carryon bag, according to the TSA.

The man faces a financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.

“This is the 31st gun caught so far this year with another one-and-a-half months remaining in 2023,” John Busch, federal security director at Reagan National Airport, said in a statement. “Yes, we set a new record, but we would much rather see all travelers who are gun owners leave their guns safely at home.”

Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded and then packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case must be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared, according to the TSA.