Posted on 01/29/25
| News Source: WBAL
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 29, 2025 - The TSA said it has seen an increase in the number of guns passengers are bringing to checkpoints at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
During a news conference Wednesday at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Transportation Security Administration officials reminded travelers how to properly carry a gun.
The TSA told 11 News on Wednesday its agents stopped 47 guns at BWI-Marshall security checkpoints in 2024, as well as 41 at Ronald Regan Washington National Airport and 29 at Dulles International Airport.
“He forgot it was a loaded firearm in his gray duffle bag in the pre-check lane. When he came through, he immediately realized why he was stopped. ‘Oh right, it’s my gun. I left it in my bag,'” said TSA agent Matthew Rudd.
It’s a common excuse for people caught with guns in their carry-on bags. Packing guns in a carry-on is not allowed.
“A lot of the excuses that we get — 99.9% of excuses we hear — is that they forgot. To say you forgot and you have it in your carry-on is unacceptable,” said Christopher Murgia, the federal security director for TSA Maryland. “If you are a firearms owner, you should know where your firearm is at all times.”
| DON’T FORGET: Forgetting to pack something for travel is common, but forgetting what you’ve packed when it comes to security rules is avoidable. Here’s how.
“Nationwide, last year, 6,678 firearms were detected nationwide at our checkpoints that our officers detected,” Murgia said. “Out of that, 94% of them were loaded.”
There is a specific way firearms should be packed.
“First and foremost, it needs to be unloaded — no bullets in the gun,” said TSA agent Barbara Plucinski. “Put it in a hard-side case, close the case, lock it.”
Then, present it to your airline when you check-in.
| RECORD INCREASES: Gun captures at Baltimore-Washington airports increased by 18% in 2023. See the numbers.
“The proper way is to check it and declare it with your airline, so the packaging of the firearm gets stowed underneath the plane,” Murgia said.
Failure to follow the rules can get you a civil penalty of up to $15,000. You will also lose your trusted traveler status and have your pre-check screening revoked.
The TSA urges passengers to know the rules when it comes to transporting firearms. Only unloaded firearms that are packed in a hard-sided, locked case can be transported in checked luggage.
The TSA reminds travelers that bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries federal civil penalties that can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. Police then determine whether a traveler will be arrested or issued a criminal citation.
The rules apply to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto a plane.
This also applies to travelers who are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.