Unloaded gun found in passenger’s bag at Gerald R. Ford International Airport

Apr 17, 2023

Transportation Security Administration officers seized this unloaded gun Saturday, June 3, at Gerald R. Ford International Airport. (Photo provided by Transportation Security Administration)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – An unloaded handgun and ammunition was confiscated from a passenger's carry-on bag at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Transportation Security Administration officials said.

The incident was reported around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, when the passenger presented their bag for screening and officers detected the image of a firearm on the X-ray.

TSA officials alerted airport police who confiscated the unloaded weapon. A four-round magazine was also found inside the bag.

This is the eighth firearm detected at the Grand Rapids airport this year. A total of 12 firearms were detected at airport security checkpoints in 2022.

"As summer travel picks up, these incidents present a danger to our dedicated workforce, and the traveling public," Michigan TSA Federal Security Director Reginald Stephens said in a statement. "We encourage all travelers to know the exact location of their firearm at all times and to pack their luggage starting with a completely empty bag to ensure no prohibited items are accidentally brought to the checkpoint."

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