Rep. Victoria Spartz 'accidentally carried' unloaded gun in suitcase during airport screening, her office indicates

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) mistakenly carried an unloaded gun in her suitcase while she went through airport security, her office indicated, according to reports.

"Last Friday, Rep. Spartz accidentally carried an empty handgun in her suitcase with no magazine or bullets, which she did not realize was in the pocket of her suitcase, while going through security at Dulles airport. Rep. Spartz was issued a citation and proceeded on her international flight to the OSCE PA meeting in Europe," a statement reads, according to wishtv.com.

'I will always stand strong for 2nd Amendment rights for all law-abiding Americans!'

"TSA officers at IAD detected a .380 caliber firearm during passenger security screening. The firearm was unloaded and in the individual's carry-on bag," a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson noted, according to CNN.

A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson informed Axios that "Victoria Spartz, 45, of Noblesville, IN, was charged on Friday, June 28 with a weapons violation at Dulles Airport."

Spartz, an immigrant who grew up in Ukraine, has served in Congress since 2021.

"As someone who grew up under tyranny, I understand that our 2nd Amendment is second for a reason – to protect all other rights. I will always stand strong for 2nd Amendment rights for all law-abiding Americans!" she declared in a tweet earlier this year.

Last year, Spartz announced that she would not run for office in 2024, but she reversed course and went on to win her Republican primary in Indiana's 5th Congressional District earlier this year.

GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has previously said the TSA should be abolished.

"It's time to abolish the TSA. Airlines can and will secure their own planes if a federal agency doesn’t do it for them. They'll do it better than TSA, without undermining the Constitution and with less groping—showing more respect for passengers," he tweeted in March.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!