Virginia man brings loaded gun to DCA, cited by TSA

ARLINGTON, Va. — A Virginia man was issued a criminal citation after he tried to bring a loaded gun and 17 bullets through a TSA checkpoint at Reagan International Airport on Monday. 

Carrying weapons in a U.S. airport has a maximum fine of $15,000. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) did not immediately say how much the man from Orange, Va. would be required to pay for bringing his 9mm handgun and three full rounds of ammunition through airport security.

"It is disappointing to see someone who shows up with a loaded gun along with so much additional ammunition in their carry-on bag," TSA Federal Security Director John Busch said Tuesday. "TSA has been in existence for about 23 years, yet guns on planes have been prohibited decades before TSA even existed."

But Monday's incident is far from an uncommon occurrence at the Arlington, Va. airport or at U.S. airports in general. TSA has confiscated 30 guns at DCA, during the first nine months of 2024.

The total number of guns confiscated at U.S. airports in 2024 was 5,028, according to TSA on Tuesday. 

A similar figure of 5,072 was reported by October 2023, meaning there was a 0.87% decrease in gun seizures in the first nine months of 2024, compared to the first nine months of 2023. 

TSA reported in August, that 15 guns have been confiscated at Washington Dulles International Airport. The report came after a Falls Church man brought a loaded revolver onto a flight,

And guns are not the only banned item to enter Dulles this year. In September, a passenger arriving from the West African country of Equatorial Guinea had more than two pounds of snake meat in his or her luggage. 

"Unwittingly having a loaded weapon in your possession is very dangerous, and puts everyone around you at risk," TSA Director Busch said. "Our security officers are diligent and work hard to keep everyone safe."