LINTHICUM, Md. - Two more handguns were stopped by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport the past few days, bringing the number of guns caught during the first month of the young year to three.
On Friday, Jan. 26, a Shepherdstown, West Virginia, man was stopped with a.357 caliber firearm loaded with nine bullets and on Sunday, Jan. 28, an Ellicott City, Maryland, resident was stopped with an unloaded firearm and a realistic replica gun that was a training aid. The Maryland man claimed that he was a firearms trainer, yet he was not familiar with the fact that Federal law prohibits bringing firearms-real or replica-to an airport checkpoint.
In each instance, TSA officials contacted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the weapons and arrested the travelers.
As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on TSA.gov. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
