Alexandria Area Man Brings Loaded Gun to Airport

PHOTO: TSA photo of 9 mm handgun

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Transportation Security Administration officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) Wednesday stopped an Alexandria-area man from bringing a loaded hand gun onto a flight, according to the TSA.

A TSA spokeswoman said it wasn’t certain if the man was from the City of Alexandria or a part of Fairfax County with an Alexandria mailing address.

The man was stopped at the checkpoint with the firearm, a 9 mm caliber handgun loaded with seven bullets, TSA said Thursday in a news release. The man, who the TSA did not identify, was cited by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police on weapons charges after the TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray machine detected the handgun as it passed along the conveyor belt, the TSA noted.

It marked the first firearm caught at a checkpoint at Reagan National so far this year, according to the TSA. TSA officers also detected a 9 mm handgun in a carry-on bag at Washington Dulles International Airport earlier this week.

TSA officers immediately contacted the MWAA Police Department and when they arrived at the checkpoint, they confiscated the firearm and cited the man on a state weapons charge, the TSA said. There was no impact to airport operations.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared, the TSA noted. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-side case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition, according to TSA regulations. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its web site here: http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.