TSA officials stop Moseley man from bringing gun onto RIC flight

Transportation Security Administration officers at Richmond International Airport prevented a Moseley, Va., man from bringing a handgun onto a flight April 13. The .380 caliber firearm was not loaded. It was the ninth weapon stopped at a checkpoint at the airport so far this year, following 17 such occurrences all of last year.

The gun was confiscated by police, who cited the man on a weapons charge.

“Firearms are not permitted to be carried through security checkpoints and onto planes. It does not matter if the firearm is loaded or unloaded," said Robin “Chuck” Burke TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. "The strict regulation on ‘no firearms’ is for security and safety purposes. This individual told us that he forgot that he had his gun with him. That’s no excuse. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times and they know not to bring them to an airport security checkpoint. I commend the TSA officers who intercepted this deadly weapon.”

According to the Richmond Airport Police, 17 guns were found at security checkpoints last year. In 2023, TSA officers found 6,735 guns at checkpoints across the country, with 93% of the guns being loaded.

Passengers are only allowed to travel with firearms if the guns are in checked baggage.

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