Record Tied For Most Handguns Seized At VA Airport In A Year

ARLINGTON, VA — A woman accused of bringing a loaded handgun to a security checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday tied the record for number of firearms detected at the airport in a year, federal officials said.

Transportation Security Administration officers found the .380 caliber handgun loaded with seven bullets in the West Virginia woman’s carry-on items. Metropolitan Washington Airport Authorities Police then confiscated the handgun and cited the woman, according to the TSA.

This was the 39th firearm TSA officers detected at the airport this year, which ties the 2023 record for the most guns removed from carry-on items at the airport in a single year, according to the TSA.

With just about three weeks left in 2024, that record could be broken, according to John Busch, TSA’s federal security director for the airport.

“The next firearm that our officers intercept will set a record, and this is certainly not the type of record we want to set,” he said. “We would much rather see fewer travelers bringing their guns to our checkpoints. Anyone who wants to transport their firearm to their destination may do so simply by placing their unloaded gun in a locked hard-sided case and taking it to their airline check-in counter. The airline will ensure it is transported in the belly of the plane, where nobody has access to it during a flight.”

Busch commended the TSA officers for seizing the firearm.

“Our team is good at what they do, and I thank them daily for remaining focused on our mission,” he said. “Our goal is to ensure that people get to their destinations safely and get home safely.”

How To Travel Legally With A Handgun

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.

Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil fines for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can reach $14,950 per violation per person, depending on mitigating circumstances.

The ban on guns on airplanes applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits, as well as passengers who are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.

Fines for violations start at $390 and increase from there; a complete list of civil penalties is posted online.