A woman was arrested with a loaded handgun at BWI Airport Monday, the Transportation Security Administration said.
It's the third gun TSA has confiscated within five days, but the incidents are not believed to be related.
TSA officers found the loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun inside the Delaware woman’s large handbag as she entered one of the airport checkpoints.
The gun was loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber. The woman claimed that she had just cleaned out her handbag, but didn't know she was carrying a loaded gun.
On Sunday, police arrested a Delaware man who was carrying a loaded .22 caliber handgun loaded with six rounds. He also claimed that he forgot that he was carrying a loaded handgun with him, TSA said.
Last Thursday, police arrested a Gwynn Oak man who was carrying a loaded .38 caliber handgun loaded with five bullets. He told officers he didn't know the had a loaded gun in his carry-on bag, and also claimed that it did not belong to him, TSA said.
Firearms, firearm parts and ammunition aren't permitted in carry-on bags, but can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline, according to TSA.
Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA of up to $12,000.
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