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On Tuesday, Dec. 20, the TSA announced that its team at the airport in Richmond busted two people with loaded guns over the weekend, marking the 22nd and 23rd guns to be stopped at checkpoints, up from a high of 22 in 2020 and a low of six weapons as recently as 2015.
Officials say that the first stop was of a Midlothian man who was caught with a .22 caliber handgun and two magazines, both loaded with 10 bullets. The second was of a Mechanicsville woman who was in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun with 11 bullets, including one in the chamber.
The two incidents were not related, according to officials, but in both cases, the individuals stated that they had forgotten that they were packing heat in their luggage.
In both cases, TSA agents confiscated the weapons and issued summons to the gun holders.
Since 2015, here are the number of guns caught at Richmond International Airport checkpoints, by year:
- 2015: 6;
- 2016: 10;
- 2017: 18;
- 2018: 14;
- 2019: 14;
- 2020: 22;
- 2021: 20;
- 2022 (to date): 23.
“Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on the mission—especially during the busy holiday travel period,” Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, said. “These individuals now face stiff financial civil penalties.
"The penalty for carrying a weapon recently increased to a maximum of $15,000,” Burke continued. “This applies to travelers who attempt to bring a firearm through the checkpoint regardless of their concealed carry permit status. Travelers are only permitted to bring their weapon on a trip if it is packed properly in their checked baggage."
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