Woman charged after bringing loaded gun to Richmond International Airport checkpoint

Transportation Security Administration officers at Richmond International Airport found a .380-caliber handgun loaded with six bullets in the carry-on bag of a Rockville, Virginia woman March 6. The gun was found at the airport's security checkpoint when an X-ray unit alerted officials to its presence in the bag.

The woman was cited on a weapons charge by Richmond Airport Police and faces a civil penalty of as much as $15,000.

“It is disappointing to see travelers continue to bring their guns to our checkpoints because in doing so they create a potentially dangerous situation through their own actions,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “It doesn’t matter what color a gun is. It doesn’t matter if it’s black, teal, pink or a camo design, it’s still prohibited from being carried onto a flight. We have no issues with passengers who pack their firearms properly to be transported on their flight, but bringing a gun to a checkpoint is not the way to do it.”

In 2023, a total of 6,735 guns were detected at security checkpoints across the country, with 93% of those guns being loaded. Ninety-four percent of the guns stopped at RIC last year also were loaded, as all three this year have been.

Passengers with guns are urged to research the laws of their local state and county carefully to ensure that they are compliant with any applicable regulations. 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.