NORFOLK, Va. — New numbers and a stern warning were issued by the Transportation Security Administration this week: stop trying to bring handguns through airport security!
The TSA said it was a record year for guns seized at Virginia's airports in 2022; 118 in all were stopped last year. That's a 20% increase from 2021.
Nationwide, they caught more than 6,500 guns at security checkpoints.
The trend holds true at Norfolk International Airport, where officials siezed a record 27 guns last year there.
The airport saw its first gun seizure of 2023 on Tuesday, after a Wisconsin woman was stopped for having a loaded 9mm handgun in a carry-on bag at a checkpoint.
All of this carries a serious penalty.
The Norfolk Airport Authority Police cited the Wisconsin woman with a weapons violation and forwarded her case to the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney for possible criminal prosecution and a fine of up to $15,000.
You can transport your gun by plane, but you have to send them through checked baggage.
The guns have to be unloaded, follow certain packaging rules, and you have to tell the airline ticket counter that you're transporting a gun. Those rules help keep people safe.