ROANOKE, Va. – Authorities found a loaded .45-caliber gun in a Roanoke man’s carry-on bag at the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport on Saturday, according to the TSA.
TSA officials detected the gun, immediately the airport police, confiscated the weapon and cited the man on weapons charges, according to the Monday news release in connection with the incident.
The gun was loaded with six bullets at the time it was confiscated, according to the TSA.
This marks the third firearm discovered at a TSA checkpoint at Roanoke’s airport this year.
Here’s a look at how many guns have been discovered yearly there since 2017:
| Year | Guns Discovered |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
As a reminder, people are able to fly with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged, unloaded, stored separate from ammunition and declared at their airline ticket counter.
The fine for having a loaded firearm at an airport ranges from $3,000 $10,000 and a criminal referral, according to the TSA website.