Man Blames His Mom for Packing a Collapsible Rifle in His Carry-On Bag

The Transportation Security Administration confiscated yet another gun at check-in at Baltimore–Washington International Airport (BWI). Only this time, the passenger claims he didn't know it was there because his mom packed his carry-on bag.

TSA stopped the man after officers detected an unloaded, collapsible .40 caliber rifle in his bag at the security checkpoint. The unidentified man was arrested on weapons charges.

According to a local news station in Maryland, this is the 20th gun found at one of BWI's checkpoints this year, and a total of 26 were found last year. Similarly, TSA officers stopped a woman with a loaded gun at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) at one of the airport checkpoints on Tuesday, marking the 13th handgun caught so far this year at that airport, TSA reported.

TSA officers confiscating guns at security checkpoints has become all too common at US airports this year. Firearms are permitted in air travel, but only when packaged and declared in a checked bag. The firearm must be must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. They are never allowed through security checkpoints and end up causing delays for other passengers when found in carryon bags. Even if your gun is pink, or you're carrying an item that resembles a gun or any weapon, like a grenade, you cannot bring them through the airport.

Passengers who bring guns (loaded or unloaded) to TSA checkpoints could be charged up to a $13,000 fine in addition to an arrest.

According to TSA, roughly one in 200,000 travelers brought guns to checkpoints nationwide in 2017; 84% of them were loaded. And, of the guns caught at checkpoints in 2017, 23% were carried by women.