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Handgun found loaded with 5 bullets in carry-on bag at Des Moines International Airport

Des Moines police were informed of the incident, and officers confiscated the gun before citing the individual.

DES MOINES, Iowa — EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video originally aired Aug. 14, 2020

A man from Guam was caught with a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag over the weekend at the Des Moines International Airport.

The 9mm handgun found Saturday was loaded with five bullets including one in the chamber, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in a release.

Des Moines police were informed of the incident, and officers confiscated the gun before citing the individual.

“Individuals who want to fly with their firearms are permitted to do so as long as they follow the regulations for transporting their weapon,” John Bright, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Iowa, said in a statement. “If you want to travel with your firearm, the first thing you should do is make sure it is unloaded. Then pack it in a hard-sided case and lock the case. Upon arriving at the airport, take the case to the airline check-in counter and declare that you want to fly with it. 

"The airline will make sure it is stored securely in the underbelly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight. If you’re unsure how to transport your gun, just visit the TSA website, www.tsa.gov.”

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. A complete list of TSA civil penalties is available online.

Guns caught by TSA at the Des Moines International Airport checkpoint (2016-2020)

  • 2016 — 3
  • 2017 — 6
  • 2018 — 12
  • 2019 — 12
  • 2020 (As of Oct. 4) — 4

4,432 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country last year, about 12.1 firearms per day and a 5% increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total detected in 2018 (4,239). 

87% of firearms detected at checkpoints in 2019 were loaded.

TSA rules for traveling with a firearm can be found here.

RELATED: TSA catches another loaded handgun at the Des Moines airport

RELATED: Report: TSA collected almost $1 million in unclaimed money from airports in 2019

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