TSA stops Pulaski County woman with loaded gun at ROA airport

The owner now faces multiple citations

ROANOKE, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a Pulaski County woman from bringing a loaded gun onto her flight Tuesday.

The gun was a .380 caliber handgun that held six bullets.

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A TSA officer noticed the gun on the X-ray monitor in the woman’s carry-on.

TSA alerted authorities who cited her for a weapons charge.

She now also faces a federal financial civil citation.

“Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Guns on their person or accessible in their carry-on property are illegal. When a gun is detected at the screening checkpoint the result is a significant fine with potential criminal charges filed on the passenger.”

TSA may issue a civil penalty to anyone who brings a gun or gun parts through the checkpoint. Penalties can cost up to thousands of dollars.

More information about rules regarding traveling with a gun can be found on the TSA website.

This year, TSA has caught six guns so far at the security checkpoint at ROA.


About the Author:

Lauren Helkowski joined WSLS 10’s digital team in August 2022, but has held a passion for storytelling long before.