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On Monday, April 10, officers at the airport prevented a Spotsylvania woman from bringing a .380 caliber handgun that was loaded with five bullets as she went through a security checkpoint at the airport.
Alarm bells were ringing - both literally and figuratively - when the X-ray unit at the checkpoint alerted TSA agents that there was a firearm inside a zippered pouch inside her purse, which she claims she carries for protection and forgot she had on her.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police responded to confiscate the weapon and the woman was cited on a weapons charge.
John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director at Reagan National Airport made note that travelers can still fly with their weapons, but only in checked bags, if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case.
Those cases should then be taken to the airline’s check-in counter to be declared as a precaution.
“The spring travel season is here and checkpoint operations are very busy,” Busch said. “We’ve seen an increase in travelers, and I am personally grateful that TSA officers here at Reagan National Airport and across the country remain focused on their mission.
“Unfortunately when a gun-owner forgets where they store their firearm and tries to bring it through our checkpoint we have to stop the screening operation and move all passengers to another area,” he continued. “The unsecured firearm in a traveler’s carry-on presents a high risk in a crowded environment and we take these situations very seriously.
The latest gun bust at Reagan National Airport continues an alarming trend that has seen more and more weapons confiscated by members of the TSA.
As recently as 2020, there were just 10 guns seized by airport police in the full year, which spiked to 30 the following year and 29 in 2022. As of Tuesday, April 11, there have already been 10 weapons recovered from travelers.
“Let this incident serve as a reminder to others who are traveling with a firearm, to take a few moments before you come to the airport to refresh your familiarity with the proper procedures on how to pack a gun for a flight,” Busch added. “Firearms should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage.”
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