Williamsburg man is fifth arrested with loaded gun at RIC this year
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A Williamsburg man became the fifth person this year arrested after bringing a gun to a checkpoint at Richmond International Airport.
The man was issued a summons by police at the airport Feb. 20 after a Transportation Security Administration officer spotted a .380-caliber handgun loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber, in the traveler’s carry-on bag.
TSA officials notified the airport police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the handgun and detained the man for questioning before arresting him on a weapons charge.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at the airline check-in counter. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.
The airport is already more than a third of the way to equaling the total number of cases of guns stopped at checkpoints last year and in 2018 (14 apiece).
Nationwide last year, 4,432 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging about 12.1 firearms per day, approximately a 5% increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 4,239 detected in 2018. Eighty-seven percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded.
Anyone who brings firearms to a security checkpoint is subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with concealed firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes in their carry-on bags. If the individual is a TSA Precheck member, that person could lose that status. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,333 for weapons violations. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100. The complete list of penalties is posted online.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted at https://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition. Travelers also should contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
