Transportation Security Administration officers at Reagan National Airport stopped a Gambrills, Maryland, man from boarding his flight Monday because he had a loaded gun.
According to a statement from TSA, the man had a 9 mm handgun loaded with 10 bullets.
“We have seen more guns caught at our checkpoints so far this year than the total number we stopped in 2019 and 2020 combined,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA federal security director for the airport.
“If you own a firearm, stop and think about it for a moment before bringing it to the airport. Guns and airports don’t mix. It’s nothing new. Guns have been prohibited from being carried onto airplanes for decades.”
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police confiscated the gun — which was spotted in an X-ray machine — and cited the man.
Information on how to properly travel with a firearm is posted on the TSA website.
Firearms caught at the Reagan National Airport checkpoints, 2017 to 2021, per the TSA:
| Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020* | 2021* |
| Guns caught | 13 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 27 |
*There were significantly fewer passengers than previous years due to the pandemic.
