A Transportation Security Administration officer at Reagan National Airport stopped a Takoma Park man from bringing a loaded gun onto his flight Tuesday.
The .40 caliber gun was loaded with 13 bullets and one in the chamber, according to a TSA press release. It was detected as the man was entering the security checkpoint with his carry-on items. TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police, who confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charge.
This is the 4th gun caught this year at Reagan National Airport, according to TSA. Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2022, about 86 percent were loaded.
“Twenty-five days into the new year and already our officers stopped a fourth gun from being carried onto a flight,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, in a statement. “Gun owners need to know that our TSA officers are good at detecting weapons and are focused on their mission. As a reminder to firearm owners, it is important to know that even if you have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow you to bring your gun through a TSA security checkpoint.”
Photo: © Dmitry/Adobe Stock. Gun photo courtesy TSA