CA Man Prevented From Bringing Loaded Gun On Flight At Reagan National

ARLINGTON, VA — A California man tried to bring a handgun loaded with 14 bullets, including one in the chamber, onto a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last Friday but was stopped by officers.

The gun was the 28th gun detected by Transportation Security Administration officers at Reagan National Airport so far in 2022. In 2021, a total of 30 guns were detected by officers at Reagan National Airport.

The gun was found in the man’s carry-on items when he tried to bring it through security. When TSA officers spotted the .40 caliber gun, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police were notified, confiscated the weapon and arrested the man.

“We are in the middle of the busiest travel period of the year, and our TSA officers are screening travelers as efficiently as possible,” John Busch, TSA federal security director for the airport, said in a statement Monday.

Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on the circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though a person may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane.

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints in 2021. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2021, about 86 percent were loaded, TSA said.

RELATED: Passengers With Loaded Guns Stopped By Security At Reagan National