A TSA officer stopped a man from bringing a loaded gun onto a plane on Monday in Virginia.
The incident happened on Monday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when officials said a man going through the security checkpoint was stopped after officers detected the loaded gun.
According to the TSA, an X-ray unit alerted officers to take a second look inside the passenger's carry-on bag, when they allegedly found a .40 caliber gun loaded with 10 bullets.
The agency said in a press release that the man claimed he forgot the gun was with him.
Officials confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charges.
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"This gun was caught just three days after our officers removed three guns from carry-on bags in a single day — all during the busy holiday travel season," said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. "This is the time of year that we expect to see travelers carrying gifts, cookies and cakes to our checkpoints, but what we’re seeing are too many guns. It’s inexcusable and disappointing to continue to see so many travelers carelessly bringing their firearms to checkpoints. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times."
As of Tuesday, approximately 38 guns have been detected at Reagan National Airport security checkpoints. 29 guns were detected in 2022.
