NORFOLK, Va. — A man tried to bring a loaded handgun through security at Norfolk International Airport on Wednesday, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials say.
The Chesterfield resident had a 9 mm handgun loaded with 11 bullets and was the eighth firearm that TSA officers have intercepted so far this year.
TSA said the gun was detected at the main entrance security checkpoint when the X-ray unit alerted on the carry-on bag. The firearm was removed by the local police.
The man was cited by police and also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for the incident. The penalty for carrying weapons through TSA can reach as high as $15,000.
“It is highly disappointing that we continue to see individuals try to bring their guns through our security checkpoints and onto a flight,” Robin Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director at ORF, wrote in a news release.
“I would like to acknowledge my appreciation to the TSA officers at Norfolk who acted to ensure that this traveler did not retain control of his loaded weapon."