Another Gun Found At Reagan Airport: TSA

ARLINGTON, VA -- Once again, a man is facing a weapons charge after bringing a gun to Reagan National Airport, according to a report from the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA officers stopped an Oklahoma man on Wednesday after he tried to board a plane with a loaded .40 caliber handgun in his carry-on bag, the report states.

"He told TSA officials that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him and claimed that he meant to leave it sitting in his car prior to his flight," the report adds.

This comes after two local men were cited in separate incidents for trying to board a plane at Reagan National Airport with loaded handguns in their carry-on bags last week, according to the TSA.

In the first incident, an unnamed Springfield man was caught with a .45 caliber handgun loaded with four bullets while trying to board on Aug. 6, a TSA statement claims. And on Aug. 10, a Fairfax man was cited for bringing a 9mm handgun loaded with six bullets.

"In each instance, the TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint spotted the handguns when they appeared on the X-ray monitor," the statement reads. "It marked the seventh and eighth guns caught so far this year at the airport. In 2017, TSA officers caught 13 guns at the airport's checkpoints."

TSA officers contacted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, who cited the men on state weapons charges. The guns were confiscated.

"This summer is turning out to be one of the busiest in TSA's history and when someone brings a firearm to a checkpoint, it closes the checkpoint lane until the situation can be resolved, thus forcing the other travelers to shift into another lane and delaying their passage through the checkpoint," the statement reads. "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. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality."

Travelers who bring weapons to airports face civil penalties up to $13,000, although the typical first offense is $3,900.

Image via TSA