After TSA discovered a loaded handgun in a Virginia man’s carry-on bag, he told the agents that his wife had packed his bag.
The firearm was found at Reagan National Airport on 21 September when the bag was under an X-ray machine at the security checkpoint, the TSA press release stated.
“The .22 caliber pistol was loaded with five bullets and was packed in the man’s carry-on bag,” according to the press release.
When the gun was discovered, the man told the agents that his wife packed his bag; he didn’t know its contents.
Still, the gun was confiscated, and the man was cited on state charges and faces a financial civil penalty from TSA — a fine that can reach up to $15,000.
“It is disappointing to continue to see travelers carrying their loaded guns to our security checkpoints,” said John Busch, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “My advice is that when packing for a flight to start with a completely empty bag, and all travelers must pack their own bag, so that there are no surprises when someone gets to our checkpoint.”
“When you start with an empty bag, there are no chances that a prohibited or illegal item is inside and incidents like the one that happened on Thursday don’t happen again,” Mr Busch said.
He noted a troubling pattern at the airport: “I find it very troubling that this is the sixth firearm TSA has intercepted at Reagan National Airport in just the last three weeks. There is no reasonable excuse for not knowing you are carrying an unsecured, loaded firearm in your bag. It presents a danger to everyone around you. I urge all responsible gun owners to maintain awareness of where their firearms are stored.”
Nationally, thousands of weapons have been discovered. Last year, 6,542 guns were caught at security checkpoints – 88 per cent of those were loaded, the release stated.
This year alone, 4,000 handguns have been discovered at security checkpoints by TSA officers.