Richmond man caught by TSA with loaded gun at Richmond International Airport

Transportation Security Administration officers at Richmond International Airport prevented a Richmond man from carrying his 9-mm handgun loaded with 10 bullets onto his flight Oct. 3. The gun was detected in the X-ray machine among the traveler’s carry-on items at the security checkpoint.

It was the 14th time this year that a traveler with a gun was stopped at a checkpoint at RIC, tying the total number of occurrences in 2018 and 2019. Last year, TSA officials detected 22 weapons at airport checkpoints.

TSA alerted police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the handgun and issued the man a citation. In addition to being cited by the police, he also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty for bringing a loaded gun to an airport security checkpoint.

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending upon mitigating circumstances. That applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits, because concealed carry permits do not allow firearms to be carried onto an airplane.

If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck, that person will lose those privileges.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers also should contact their airlines, which may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.