RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — TSA officers at Richmond International Airport prevented a Florida resident from boarding his flight with a loaded handgun on Sunday.
The man was stopped at a security checkpoint when his carry-on bag triggered an alarm from the x-ray unit. Upon inspection, TSA officers found a .357 caliber handgun, loaded with five bullets.
TSA alerted airport police who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and cited the man on a weapons violation.
This is the fourth handgun that Richmond TSA officers have detected at security checkpoints this year so far.
The TSA issues civil penalties to travelers who bring guns to the checkpoint, passengers with concealed carry permits are not exempt from this consequence. Firearms are only permitted for travel in checked baggage. For more information on traveling with firearms, check out the TSA’s website.
TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms at airport security checkpoints nationwide in 2021. Eighty-six percent of those guns were loaded.
