TSA officers prevent Glen Allen man from bringing loaded gun onto flight at Richmond International Airport
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Transportation Security Administration officers at Richmond International Airport prevented a Glen Allen man from bringing his handgun onto a flight Oct. 11. The 9mm handgun was loaded with 15 bullets.
It was the 13th weapon stopped at a checkpoint at the airport so far this year, following a record-high of 24 last year and 21 the previous year.
The gun was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the carry-on bag, which required a closer inspection. The firearm was removed by the Richmond Airport Police, who cited the man on a weapons charge. The man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.
“There is absolutely no excuse for bringing a gun to one of our checkpoints,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “You certainly can’t carry a firearm onto your flight, so don’t bring one to our checkpoint and expect to bring it on board. This was a good catch on the part of our TSA team here in Richmond. Our officers are good at their jobs and are very vigilant when it comes to helping ensure that no illegal or prohibited items are carried onto a flight.”
Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case must 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.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and gun owners have a duty to ensure they are not violating any local firearm laws. Additionally, contacting the respective airline could reveal any additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because 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 gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.
Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a “What can I bring?” feature all that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA or by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
