HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — For the third time in the last week, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Richmond International Airport (RIC) caught someone trying to bring a loaded firearm onto a flight Tuesday.
According to TSA, a man from the Scottsdale area of Albemarle County tried to bring a 9mm handgun loaded with 15 rounds, including one in the chamber, onto a flight departing from RIC on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 17.
TSA officers found the gun in the man’s carry-on bag after it went through the x-ray machine in the security checkpoint. The officers alerted Richmond Airport Police officers, who cited the man on a weapons charge. The man is also facing a civil penalty, which carries a fine of up to $15,000.
This the third time someone has been caught trying to bring a loaded handgun onto an RIC flight since last Wednesday, when a Henrico County man was caught with a 9mm handgun, which was also loaded with 15 rounds.
The next day, Oct. 12, a New Kent County man was caught trying to bring a 9mm handgun loaded with five rounds through security at RIC. These handguns were the 13th, 14th and 15th firearms found by TSA officers at RIC so far in 2023.
