ROANOKE, Va. – A California man was stopped by TSA Tuesday morning at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport after bringing a loaded gun in his carry-on through security, according to TSA.
A TSA officer found the gun inside the man's carry-on bag as it went through the security checkpoint's X-ray monitor, according to TSA.
Airport police confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charge, according to TSA.
Across the U.S., officers found 4,239 guns in carry-on bags at security checkpoints in 2018. 86% of them were loaded and nearly 34% had a bullet in the chamber, according to TSA.
Passengers can pack their guns in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared. Guns must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked and packed separately from ammunition. Laws vary by state and locality.
For more information on traveling with a gun, click here.