As Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has reminded people, Florida is a “Second Amendment” state.
Yet one of his constituents forgot that does not apply once you cross the state line.
The Transportation Security Administration stopped a Florida woman from boarding a flight at Dulles International Airport near Washington recently because she was carrying a loaded 9mm pistol in her luggage.
The incident occurred on Friday. The woman was not identified in a press release issued on Monday by the TSA.
According to the agency’s statement, a TSA officer spotted the weapon as the woman’s luggage passed through the X-ray unit at a security checkpoint.
TSA officials notified airport police, who confiscated the firearm and cited the woman for a weapons charge.
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The woman told authorities that she forgot that she was carrying her loaded gun.
“Our TSA officers continue to remain on top of preventing loaded firearms from entering the secure area of the airport,” Scott Johnson, the TSA’s federal security director for Dulles Airport, said in the press release.
“Forgetting that you are carrying a loaded firearm is a public safety concern, as it could accidentally be discharged. Responsible gun owners need to know where their firearm is at all times.”
The TSA noted that guns are not permitted through airport security checkpoints because “passengers should not have access to a firearm during a flight.”
This policy also applies to travelers with concealed-carry permits.
“Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint face a stiff federal financial civil penalty,” the TSA said.
It’s unclear what penalty the Florida passenger will face.
But the TSA pointed out on its website that such penalties can run $14,950 per violation.
Passengers may travel with guns in their checked baggage if the weapons are properly secured and the passenger notifies airline personnel at the ticket counter.
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Securing a gun means keeping it unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case, and stowed separately from its bullets.
The TSA reported that nationwide its officers discovered 5,972 guns either on passengers or in their carry-on bags at checkpoints in 2021. Of those, 86% were loaded.
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