Loaded Gun In Carry-On Bag Surprised Leesburg Traveler: TSA

DULLES, VA — A Leesburg man told Transportation Security Administration officers at Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday that he didn’t know there was a loaded firearm in his carry-on items, according to authorities.

“An important part of being a responsible gun owner is knowing where your firearm is at all times," said Eric Beane, TSA’s acting federal security director for the airport. "Telling us that you forgot that you had a loaded gun with you is an accident waiting to happen.”

The X-ray unit at an airport checkpoint alerted TSA officers that they had detected a firearm in the man’s carry-on bag. Searching the man’s carry-on items, the officers discovered a 40 caliber handgun loaded with 12 bullets and an additional seven accessible rounds, according to the TSA.

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

TSA officers detected 29 firearms at Washington Dulles International Airport in 2024, which was five more than the 24 stopped in 2023. So far, TSA officers have stopped six guns at Dulles Airport checkpoints 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.