On Christmas Eve, a woman was found carrying a loaded handgun in her carry-on bag at an airport close to Washington D.C., as per the recent announcement made by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Tuesday.
The incident happened at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia, located near the United States’ capital. A routine security check led TSA personnel to discover a 9 mm handgun that was going to be brought on board by an individual but they intervened and stopped it from happening.
The official statement released by the TSA did not reveal the identity of the woman residing in Bethesda, Maryland.
She was cited by the authorities and her loaded handgun, which had six bullets in it, was confiscated after she violated laws related to weapons.
According to TSA regulations, there is a possibility for her to face a fine that could increase up to $15,000.
John Busch, the Federal Security Director of the airport, announced that a citation had been issued to a traveler who may be subjected to considerable federal fine by police. He underscored how crucial it is for gun owners to assume responsibility and keep track of their firearms’ location while recognizing that bringing them into an airport security checkpoint is absolutely prohibited.
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A troubling trend has been observed by the TSA, indicating that a higher number of guns may be detected at airport security checkpoints in 2023. Presently, more than 6,000 firearms have already been discovered this year which surpasses last year’s record of 6.542 detections.