Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, spoke to a member of the flight crew on Friday, after a loaded gun was found in one of the airport’s security checkpoints.
The TSA said in a press release that the female member of the flight, whose name has not been released, was carrying a 9 mm handgun loaded with nine rounds, including one in the cabin.
When TSA officers saw the gun, they immediately notified Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (WMAA) officers, who responded to the search, confiscated the gun and issued a statement to the woman.
The TSA also notified an unnamed airline about the matter.
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TSA officers at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., seized a loaded 9 mm handgun from a flight attendant at the checkpoint. (TSA)
The woman now faces a civil penalty for taking a loaded gun into a TSA checkpoint, which can carry a $15,000 fine.
“This was a good move by our TSA officers as it addressed a potentially dangerous situation,” said John Busch, TSA’s director of airport security.
“Persons who work in the secure side of airports and on airplanes, whether they are members of the airline crew, shopkeepers, employees of airlines, or contractors of a company doing business at the airport, are not allowed to bring items that are not allowed in the secure side of the airport or on the plane, especially firearms. We are always vigilant about any employees who may and bad intentions that may pose a threat to aviation security.
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Travelers pass through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Although it is legal to carry a gun, the TSA provides information on its website on how to properly carry a gun. Specifically, the TSA says the gun must be unloaded, placed inside a case locked on hard sides and declared at the flight counter to be placed in the plane’s belly and checked baggage.
So far this year, since Nov. 17, 2024, TSA officers seized 36 firearms at Reagan National Airport checkpoints.
Last year, police seized 39 firearms at TSA airport checkpoints, compared to 29 firearms the year before.
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The TSA said that bringing a firearm into the airport carries a civil penalty because the TSA reserves the right to issue civil penalties to travelers who carry firearms and firearm parts into the checkpoint.
Civil penalties for such actions can reach thousands of dollars, depending on the circumstances.
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