TSA Gun Seizures Ahead Of Record Pace At BWI Airport

HANOVER, MD — Gun seizures from travelers stopped during security screening at Baltimore-Washington International Airport are ahead of record pace for the first two months of 2019, federal officials said Wednesday. A Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said the number of firearms caught by officers has "soared this year," with eight handguns seized in the first eight weeks of the year.

TSA officers caught the eighth gun of the year on Sunday, Feb. 17, when a Germantown man was charged with a weapons violation. Security screeners saw his 9 mm handgun loaded with 11 bullets including one bullet in the gun’s chamber via an X-ray machine, said TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

In 2018, TSA officers at BWI caught 22 firearms at the airport checkpoints, and the eight guns caught so far this year are the equivalent of one-third of the total caught last year. A record 26 guns were seized at BWI Airport in 2017.

Nationwide last year, 4,239 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging about 11.6 firearms per day, roughly a 7 percent increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 3,957 detected in 2017, the TSA said. Eighty-six percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded and nearly 34 percent had a bullet in the chamber.

Authorities remind airline passengers that firearms are never allowed at security checkpoints. Passenger who try to transport firearms through security checkpoints face criminal charges and the TSA has the authority to assess fines of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900.

What is the proper procedure for transporting firearms 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.

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PHOTO: Courtesy of BWI International Airport