DULLES, Va. — A Maryland man is facing a big fine after he tried to bring a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag onto a flight Monday at Washington Dulles International Airport, officials said.
According to Transportation Security Administration officials, the man was caught with a 9mm handgun loaded with four bullets. An X-ray machine alerted officers to the gun in the man’s carry-on bag.
TSA officers notified Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, who confiscated the gun and cited the Adamstown, Maryland, man on weapon charges.
“Memorial Day may be a week away, but the busy summer travel season has begun and when travelers bring prohibited or illegal items such as a loaded gun to our security checkpoints, it slows down the screening process,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for the airport.
In addition to the citation, the man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty, and penalties for carrying a weapon can reach up to a maximum of $15,000.
“When someone shows up with a firearm at the checkpoint, the conveyor belt is stopped until the police arrive and can remove the carry-on bag from the X-ray machine to secure the weapon safely. Guns should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage," Johnson said.
At least 6,542 firearms were caught nationwide at 262 out of the 430 airport security checkpoints, TSA officials said. Roughly 88% of those guns were loaded. So far, 11 guns have been caught at Dulles Airport checkpoints in 2023.
TSA has information on how to properly travel with a firearm, which can be found here.