19th Handgun Of 2021 Confiscated At Reagan National Airport

ARLINGTON, VA — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented a Baltimore man from bringing a loaded .40 caliber handgun onto a flight leaving from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Saturday, according to a TSA release.

The handgun contained 13 bullets, including one in the chamber. It was seventh confiscated by TSA agents over a nine-day span and the 19th gun TSA has confiscated since the beginning of the year.

The recent string of confiscations started on July 8, when an Oxon Hill, Maryland man was stopped at a checkpoint carrying a loaded .40 caliber handgun. Three days later, TSA agents confiscated a Georgia man's .38 caliber handgun, which was loaded with 10 bullets, including one in the chamber.

On July 14, TSA agents stopped three people from bringing guns onto flights at Reagan National. The first was a Fredericksburg, Virginia woman, who had a .380 caliber handgun and a gun magazine in her carry-on bag. A Florida man was carrying a 9mm handgun, which was loaded with 15 bullets. TSA also found two gun magazines with 45 bullets and a tactical knife in the man's carry-on bag. All of those items were confiscated. That same day, TSA agents stopped a Wisconsin man at a security checkpoint. They confiscated a 9mm gun, loaded with five bullets and one in the chamber.

The most recent confiscation before Saturday's incident occurred on July 16. That's when TSA agents prevented an Alexandria man from bringing a .38 caliber handgun loaded with seven bullets onto his flight.

After confiscating the handguns, ammunition, and other weapons, police cited each of the passengers for federal civil violations, which could lead to thousands of dollars in fines, depending on the circumstances.

“There seems to be no cure for this rash of guns that are turning up at our checkpoints here at Reagan National Airport. The real solution is in the hands of the travelers,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA's federal security director for Reagan National Airport, in a release. “Individuals who continue to bring their firearms to our checkpoints will continue to face criminal penalties and federal civil penalties that will prove to be extremely costly, and they’ll have nobody to blame other than themselves. If you want to travel with your gun, pack it the right way or leave it at home. Our TSA officers are good at their jobs and they have continued to stay focused on their mission throughout this pandemic.”

People are allowed to travel with their handguns, but the handguns must be properly stored in their checked baggage and declared at check-in. In addition, handguns must be stored unloaded in a hard-locked case, with ammunition stored separately. The hard-locked case must be brought to the airline check-in window, where it will be checked with the traveler's baggage. TSA has more information available online for people traveling with firearms.

Firearms Caught at Ronald Reagan National Airport Checkpoints By Year

• 2017: 13
• 2018: 16
• 2019: 14
• 2020*: 10
• 2021*: 19

* Significantly fewer passengers than previous year due to the pandemic.