2 more guns stopped at RIC, setting new single-year record

Transportation Security Administration officials at Richmond International Airport caught two people with loaded guns at the security checkpoints at the airport Dec. 18, marking the 22nd and 23rd times guns had been stopped this year – a new single-year record for RIC.

The incidents were not related. Each person claimed they had forgotten that they had their loaded guns with them.

The first was a Midlothian man who was found with a .22-caliber handgun and two gun magazines, each loaded with 10 bullets. The gun and ammunition were confiscated by the police, who charged and then released the man with two summonses to appear at a later date.

The second was a Mechanicsville woman who was found with a 9mm handgun loaded with 11 bullets, including one in the chamber. The gun and ammunition also were confiscated by the police, who charged the woman and issued her a summons to appear at a later date.

“Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on the mission — especially during the busy holiday travel period,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. These individuals now face stiff financial civil penalties. The penalty for carrying a weapon recently increased to a maximum of $15,000. This applies to travelers who attempt to bring a firearm through the checkpoint regardless of their concealed carry permit status. Travelers are only permitted to bring their weapon on a trip if it is packed properly in their checked baggage.”

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint, which applies to travelers regardless of their concealed carry permit status. Members of TSA PreCheck who travel with a gun in carry-on baggage will lose that privilege for five years. A complete list of civil penalties is posted online.

Last year, authorities stopped 20 guns at RIC checkpoints; in 2020, that total was 22.

Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints in 2021. Of the guns caught by TSA last year, about 86 percent were loaded. TSA has already surpassed the 2021 figure and is currently on track to detect approximately 6,600 firearms at security checkpoints by the end of 2022, which will be a new record.