WASHINGTON — For the second time this week, a gun was caught at BWI Marshall Airport security.
TSA officers found a 9 mm handgun loaded with 15 bullets in a traveler’s carry-on luggage in a security checkpoint Wednesday morning. The man told TSA officers he forgot he had the loaded gun with him, said TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.
The gun was confiscated and the Huntersville, North Carolina, man was arrested on weapons charges.
It marked the second time a gun was caught at the airport in a three-day period.
On Monday, a York, Pennsylvania, man had a loaded .357 caliber handgun in his carry-on luggage when it went through the security checkpoint. As with Wednesday’s case, the traveler was arrested on weapons charges and said he forgot he had the loaded gun with him.
People typically tell TSA they forgot they had the firearm with them, said Farbstein — however, she said it’s still not an acceptable reason.
“If you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times,” she said.
So far this year, 10 guns have been detected at BWI Marshall airport checkpoints. In 2017, TSA officers found 26 firearms at checkpoints; it 2016, it was 24.
People who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges; TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,000 for weapons violations. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900.
If you want to travel with a gun, TSA has details about how to do so according to its regulations.
