McLean Man Brings Loaded Gun To Reagan Airport On Thanksgiving

MCLEAN, VA -- A McLean man was cited on a state weapons charge after authorities say he brought a loaded .32 caliber handgun to a checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thanksgiving morning.

A Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the handgun in the man's carry-on bag as it passed through the X-ray monitor shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday, according to a TSA statement.

"TSA officers immediately contacted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police, and when they arrived at the checkpoint, they confiscated the firearm and cited the man on a state weapons charge," the statement reads. "There was no impact to airport operations."

While it is legal to travel with firearms, as long as you're traveling to an area where firearms are legal, you must put them in checked baggage, and they must be properly packaged and declared. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-side case, and packed separately from ammunition.

For details on how to properly travel with a firearm, visit the TSA website.

By Patch Editor Dan Taylor

Image via TSA