“Last Friday, Representative Spartz accidentally carried an empty handgun in her suitcase, without a magazine or bullets, without realizing it was in the pocket of her suitcase, while going through security at Dulles Airport,” the statement read.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents reported finding an unloaded .380-caliber handgun in a passenger’s carry-on bag during an airport security check Friday, a spokesperson said. On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed that Spartz, of Noblesville, Indiana, was the person charged in the incident. The spokeswoman said Spartz had been issued a summons to appear in Loudoun County Court, but she declined to share further information about the arrest and charge, citing department policy.
Last year, the TSA identified an average of 18 guns per day at airport security checkpoints, and about 93 percent of the weapons were loaded, according to the agency. Officials say they have seen an increase in the number of guns recovered at Washington-area airports in recent years.
Lori Aratani contributed to this report
