LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md. — Note: The video above is from Jan. 2020.
A Harrisburg woman was one of two people stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers last Friday for attempting to carry loaded firearms onto their flights from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the TSA said Monday.
One day earlier, another man was stopped with a loaded gun at the same checkpoint, the TSA said.
None of the incidents were related, according to the TSA.
In each instance, TSA officers spotted the handguns in the travelers’ carry-on bags while the guns were inside the checkpoint X-ray machine. The TSA immediately alerted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the firearms and detained the individuals for questioning before arresting them on weapons charges, the TSA said.
In Friday's first incident, a man from Fallston, Maryland was stopped with a loaded 9mm handgun in his carry-on luggage. The gun was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber, the TSA said.
The Harrisburg woman was caught carrying a .40-caliber handgun loaded with 15 bullets, according to the TSA.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances, the TSA said.
This applies 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 an airplane, according to the TSA.
The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter, the TSA said. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality, according to the TSA.
Travelers can find details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on the TSA website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition, according to the TSA.