DULLES, Va. — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport confiscated two guns from two separate men this week.
On Monday, officers prevented a Hagerstown, Maryland, man from getting past security with a 9mm handgun loaded with 15 bullets, including one in the chamber. It was also packed alongside an additional 12 bullets, according to a press release.
The handgun was found when the bag went through an X-ray.
Another man from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, attempted to bring a 9mm handgun loaded with 15 bullets on Thursday. The man told TSA officers that he forgot he had his gun with him.
The handgun in his carry-on bag, and officers found the gun when the bag went through an X-ray.
Both men were cited by officers on a weapons charge and are facing "a stiff financial civil penalty," according to a press release. Penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.
“Two guns caught in a three-day span says a lot about the continued vigilance of our TSA officers,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “Claiming that you forgot that you had a loaded gun with you is a tragic accident waiting to happen. There is no excuse for bringing a gun to the checkpoint. Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint.”
So far this year, 23 guns have been confiscated at TSA checkpoints at the Dulles airport.
TSA has stopped more than 6,000 guns at airport checkpoints nationwide this year. in 2022, 6,542 firearms were seized at checkpoints.