Arkansas man caught with loaded pistol at Lynchburg Regional Airport

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - TSA officers stopped an Arkansas man from carrying a loaded pistol onto his flight at the Lynchburg Regional Airport Thursday, according to the TSA.

The gun was found in a carry-on bag after the bag went through an X-ray unit.

Local police confiscated the pistol and cited the man on weapons charges. The man also faces a financial civil penalty, which was recently increased to a maximum of $15,000.

“Our TSA team at Lynchburg perform their jobs well with special focus to our mission,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “I hope this serves as a reminder to others not to bring their guns to an airport security checkpoint. We are happy to make sure that firearms travel with their owners as long as the guns are packed properly. That begins with ensuring that they are unloaded. Please understand that any time dangerous items are presented in the screening checkpoint, we have serious safety concerns for everyone in the area. The resulting mandatory search disrupts the process for passengers behind the offender. Individuals

Details on how to properly travel with a gun can be found here.

In 2022, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. 88% of those guns were loaded.