ARLINGTON, VA — A Fauquier County resident was stopped from bringing a loaded handgun onto a flight Tuesday morning at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, one day after an Alexandria man was prevented from boarding an airplane with a loaded gun, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The .22 caliber handgun was detected by TSA officers at Reagan National as the man's carry-on bag went through an X-ray machine.
This is the 17th gun caught so far in 2022 at security checkpoints at Reagan National Airport, according to the TSA. In 2021, a total of 30 guns were caught by TSA officers at the airport.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter.
"TSA has been in existence for nearly 21 years, and the law that prohibits the carrying of a firearm onto a flight has been in place since long before TSA even existed, so this prohibition is nothing new," John Busch, TSA's federal security director for the airport, said in a statement Tuesday. "Bringing a firearm with you to the airport security checkpoint is a violation of Virginia law. In addition to law enforcement involvement, travelers who bring guns to checkpoints will also face a financial civil penalty that can run into thousands of dollars."
On Monday, an Alexandria resident with a loaded gun was stopped at a security checkpoint at Reagan National Airport. According to the TSA, the 9mm gun had been in the man's laptop bag with carry-on items.
The gun, detected by an X-ray machine, was loaded with nine bullets along with one in the chamber. The man told officials he went to a firing range a few days before his flight and forgot it was packed in his laptop case.
RELATED: Alexandria Man Cited For Loaded Gun At Reagan National Airport
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