TSA Discovers Loaded Handgun In MD Man's Carry-On Bag At Washington Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a Maryland man from bringing a load handgun onto a flight leaving Washington Dulles International Airport on Monday, according to a release.

TSA officers stopped the Adamstown, Maryland resident at a security checkpoint after the X-ray unit notified them that the man had a weapon in his carry-on bag.

Officers from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police confiscated the 9mm handgun, which was loaded with four bullets, and cited him on a weapons charge, according to the release. In addition to the citation, the man faces a stiff financial civil penalty and the possibility of facing up to $15,000 in penalties for carrying weapons.

With Memorial Day signaling the start of the busy summer travel season, Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for Dulles Airport, reminded travelers not to bring prohibited or illegal items such as a loaded gun to a security checkpoint.

“When someone shows up with a firearm at the checkpoint, the conveyor belt is stopped until the police arrive and can remove the carry-on bag from the X-ray machine to safely secure the weapon," Johnson said, in a release. "Guns should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage. Travelers have the responsibility of showing up at our airport checkpoints prepared to go through the screening process, which means that they need to go through their carry-on bags to ensure that there are no prohibited items inside. With that in mind, I recommend that when packing for a flight, it is best to start with an empty bag so you know what is packed inside of it.”

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.

From 2016-2023, TSA officers stopped 141 weapons from being carried onto flights leaving Dulles Airport, including 11 this year to date.