TSA: Man Tried to Board Plane with Loaded Gun

WASHINGTON — A 60-year-old man attempting to fly from Baltimore to
Tampa, Florida, this weekend is facing charges for attempting to board a
plane with a loaded gun, the Transportation Security Administration
says.

The incident happened Sunday morning at Baltimore/Washington
International-Thurgood Marshall Airport when a TSA officer spotted the
weapon in the passenger’s carry-on bag, the TSA said.

Security officials alerted the Maryland Transportation Authority
Police after finding the 9 mm Glock 17 loaded with 10 rounds of
ammunition and one bullet in the chamber. The Palm Harbor, Florida, man
was also allegedly carrying two additional magazines, each loaded with
10 rounds, the TSA said.

Police confiscated the weapon and ammunition and arrested Michael Menlo Smith on two handgun charges.

A TSA official said Smith was ticketed on a Southwest Airlines flight and told authorities he forgot the gun was in his bag.

“If someone owns a gun, they should know where it is at all times —
especially if it is loaded and a bullet is in the chamber,” the TSA
official said.

Smith did not possess a concealed weapon permit, the official added.

The TSA said there was no impact to airport operations from the incident.

“Weapons are not permitted in carry-on baggage,” the TSA said in a
news release. “Some weapons are permitted to be transported in checked
baggage, but passengers should check with the airlines and local laws
before doing so.”

The TSA said it stopped more than 125,000 prohibited items at airport checkpoints last year, including 1,300 firearms.