1st Gun Of 2020 Confiscated At BWI Airport

HANOVER, MD — The first gun to be confiscated at Baltimore Washington International Airport in 2020 was a 9 mm handgun spied in a traveler’s carry-on bag Jan. 9 while it was inside the checkpoint X-ray machine, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration officers caught the Harford County man with a loaded gun containing seven bullets at a security checkpoint Thursday morning.

Maryland Transportation Authority Police confiscated the firearm and cited the Edgewood resident on weapons charges. The man told officials he had the gun with him for work purposes and forgot that it was in his bag.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked and packed separately from ammunition.

Individuals who bring firearms to checkpoints are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with concealed firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes in their carry-on bags. If the individual is a TSA Pre✓ member, that person could even lose their TSA Pre✓ status. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,333 for weapons violations. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100.

With just a few weeks left in 2019, TSA officers surpassed the record for guns caught at BWI checkpoints totaling 27.

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27th Gun Detected At BWI Airport, Surpassing 2017 Record