WASHINGTON — One Virginia resident was cited and another was arrested for attempting to carry a gun past airport security in separate weekend incidents.
At Dulles International Airport, a Fauquier County man was caught with a loaded .40-caliber handgun Sunday by Transportation Security Administration officers, who had found it among his carry-on items.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police confiscated the firearm and cited the man, who told them he forgot he was carrying the gun.
And at BWI Marshall Airport, a Loudoun County woman was arrested and charged Friday after TSA officers caught her trying to carry a loaded .380-caliber handgun past a security checkpoint. The woman, who was not ticketed to fly, had been escorting her children to a gate.
She told authorities that she had forgotten she had the gun.
Authorities remind the public that firearms, firearm parts and ammunition are not permitted in carry-on bags, but that they can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline.
Anyone who brings a firearm to a security checkpoint is subject to both possible criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA of up to $12,000.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.
