LINTHICUM, Md. — On Monday, police arrested a Virginia man after TSA officers at BWI Airport caught him with a stolen, loaded .45 caliber handgun.
A TSA officer spotted the gun in the man’s carry-on bag while it was inside the checkpoint X-ray machine. TSA immediately alerted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and detained the man for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges. It was determined that the handgun had been reported as stolen.
The man told officials that he did not know he had the loaded gun with him because he had recently moved into a new residence.
“Our TSA officers have remained focused on their mission during this pandemic, and they are very skilled at detecting prohibited items,” said Andrea R. Mishoe, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the State of Maryland. “This was a good catch for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that the gun had been reported as stolen.”
According to officials, as of Tuesday, six guns have been confiscated at BWI Airport.
