Bowie Man Cited From Bringing Loaded Gun To VA Airport: TSA

ARLINGTON, VA — Transportation Security Administration officers prevented a Bowie, Maryland man from bringing a loaded firearm onto a flight leaving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday.

TSA officers working at the X-ray machine at an airport checkpoint spotted a firearm in the the traveler’s carry-on bag, according to a release. The 9mm handgun was loaded with 17 bullets, including one in the chamber.

Officers from the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority Police were contacted. They confiscated the firearm and issued a criminal citation to the Bowie man. He faces a potential financial penalty of up to $15,000 for bringing a weapon to an airport checkpoint.

“Travelers need to have a full understanding of the contents of their carry-on bags,” said John Busch, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “It is a best practice to empty your carry-on bag before you start to pack it so that you know with certainty that there is nothing illegal or prohibited that you may have inside.”

TSA officers detected 41 firearms at Washington National in 2024, which was two more than the 39 stopped in 2023. The handgun stopped on Monday was the fourth firearm that TSA has detected to date in 2025.

How To Travel Legally With A Firearm

Passengers are allowed to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case, with ammunition stored separately. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter, where it will be checked with the traveler's baggage.

The TSA has details online that explain how to properly travel with a firearm.