Passengers With Loaded Guns Stopped By Security At Reagan National

ARLINGTON, VA — Two men were prevented from bringing loaded guns onto flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport over the weekend, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

On Saturday, TSA officers stopped a Maryland man from bringing a .32 caliber gun through a security checkpoint at Reagan National Airport The gun was loaded with six bullets and was detected among the man’s carry-on items.

When a TSA officer spotted the firearm, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police were notified, confiscated the weapon and cited the man, a resident of Capitol Heights, Maryland, on weapons charges, TSA said in a news release Monday.

On Sunday, officers stopped another man from carrying a .45 caliber gun through a security checkpoint in a carry-on bag. It also was loaded with six bullets.

Police worked with the man, an Oklahoma resident, to properly repackage and place the gun in checked baggage, according to TSA.

These two incidents mark the 26th and 27th times in 2022 that TSA officers prevented people from bringing guns onto flights at Reagan National Airport. In 2021, TSA officers prevented passengers from bringing a total of 30 guns onto flights at Reagan National Airport.

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 someone may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane, TSA said.

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