Third Loaded Gun in 5 Days Found on Passenger at BWI Airport: TSA

HANOVER, MD – For the third time in five days, a passenger with a loaded handgun was arrested at the security checkpoint at Baltimore Washington International Airport, federal authorities say. Men from Baltimore County and Delaware were arrested in separate incidents previously.

In the most recent case, a woman from Smyrna, Delaware, was charged after Transportation Security Administration officers detected a gun inside her large handbag as she entered a checkpoint. Police confiscated a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and arrested the woman on state weapons charges. The gun was loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber.

According to the TSA, the woman said she had just cleaned out her handbag, but did not notice that the gun was hidden inside when she headed to the airport and she did not know she was carrying the weapon. She was ticketed to fly to Columbus, Ohio.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, police arrested a Gwynn Oak, Maryland, man who was carrying a loaded .38 caliber handgun loaded with five bullets when TSA officers caught him with the weapon at one of the airport checkpoints. The man told officers he did not know that he had a gun in his carry-on bag and said the weapon did not belong to him. He was ticketed to fly to Las Vegas.

In the second incident, police arrested a Millsboro, Delaware, man on Sunday, Nov. 13. He was carrying a loaded .22 caliber handgun loaded with six rounds when TSA officers stopped him. The man, who had a ticket to fly to Toronto, Canada, told authorities he forgot that he had a gun with him.

Authorities pointed out that firearms are never allowed at security checkpoints.

What is the proper procedure for transporting firearms and pets on flights?
Firearms are never permitted in carry-on bags. Firearms are permitted in checked bags if the following requirements are met:

• They are declared to the airline in advance.
• They are unloaded and properly packed.
• The carrier possesses the necessary permits.

Firearms carried as checked baggage must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided container, and declared to the airline at check-in. Read the guidelines.
Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on, but may be transported in checked baggage.
Passengers should check with their airline if ammunition is permitted in checked baggage. Small arms ammunitions for personal use must be packed in fiber, wood or metal boxes designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ask about limitations or fees.

More information on how to travel with a firearm can be found on the TSA's website.
»Photo of a loaded 9 mm handgun found in a woman's handbag at a BWI Airport checkpoint on Nov. 15, courtesy of the Transportation Safety Administration