LINTHICUM, Md. — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) caught a North Carolina resident with a loaded 9mm handgun at the checkpoint on Sunday.
A TSA officer spotted the handgun in the man’s carry-on bag while it was inside the checkpoint X-ray machine. TSA immediately alerted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and detained the man for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges.
The man claimed that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him. He now faces a stiff Federal financial penalty.
As of Sunday, TSA reports that they have caught 10 guns at BWI Airport checkpoints, so far, this year.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane.
