RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A Florida man was arrested for carrying a gun and a loaded magazine with nine bullets through a security checkpoint at Richmond International Airport.
Transportation Security Administration officers said the incident happened over the weekend on Saturday, Nov. 28. The man reportedly told authorities he knew he had his handgun with him when he entered the checkpoint and that he originally wanted to place the gun in a checked bag, but claimed that he did not know where to find the Spirit Airlines check-in counter.
The man said he planned to carry his gun to the Spirit Airlines gate in hopes he could check it in before getting on his flight.
“Under no circumstances should anyone attempt to bring a handgun through a security checkpoint,” TSA’s Federal Security Director for Richmond International Airport Chuck Burke said “This was the 20th firearm detected this year at Richmond International Airport. Claiming that you are not aware of the location of airline ticket counters is not an excuse.”
Guns caught at Richmond International Airport checkpoints from 2016 to 2020
| Guns caught by year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020(as of 11-28-20) |
| Richmond International Airport | 10 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 20 |
The Florida man now faces a federal financial civil penalty.
A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances, TSA said.
If you want to travel with a firearm, here are the proper guidelines.
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