Loaded Gun Found In VA Man's Carry-On Bag At Reagan National Airport

ARLINGTON, VA – Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a Virginia man from bringing a loaded gun onto a flight leaving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Sunday, according to a release.

At one of the airport's security checkpoints, TSA officers found the handgun loaded with 16 bullets inside the traveler's carry-on bag, according to TSA.

“Travelers who carry firearms can expect to be stopped at airport checkpoints and may face significant penalties,” said John Busch, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “To travel with a firearm, it must be unloaded and placed in a locked hard-sided case and then taken to the airline check-in counter. All firearms must be transported in the belly of the aircraft, so they cannot be accessed during the flight.”

Travelers sho bring a weapon to an airport security checkpoint face potential civil penalties of up to $15,000.

TSA officers detected 41 firearms at Washington National in 2024, which was two more than the 39 stopped in 2023.

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.