Woman Stopped From Bringing Loaded Handgun On Plane At Reagan National

ARLINGTON, VA — A woman who tried to bring a loaded handgun onto her flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was stopped Thursday by a Transportation Security Administration officer.

The Stafford resident had a 9mm gun, which was loaded with 13 bullets. The gun was detected by an X-ray machine as the woman was entering the security checkpoint with her carry-on items. An additional loaded gun magazine was also in her possession, according to the TSA.

TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police, who confiscated the gun and cited the woman on a weapons charge.

It was the 10th gun detected by TSA officers at Reagan National Airport so far in 2022.

“Everyone who owns a firearm needs to know that they are not permitted to be carried through an airport security checkpoint,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “And every responsible gun owner must know where their firearm is at all times. Too often TSA is told ‘I forgot it was in the bag,’ and that is also troubling.”

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter.

Nationwide, of the guns caught by TSA in 2022 at security checkpoints, about 86 percent were loaded, according to the agency.