A loaded gun was found today in a passenger's carry-on luggage Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

The gun was found at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, said TSA spokesman Mark Howell. The discovery marked the 29th time this year a gun was found at the checkpoint, compared to 24 in all of 2015.

Howell said the loaded Glock 19 9mm was discovered at 9 a.m. TSA immediately alerted airport police, who took possession of the bag and removed the passenger and firearm from the checkpoint area.

Guns can be transported in checked baggage, as long as they are declared to the airline, in a proper carrying case and unloaded. They are prohibited in carry-on bags. "Passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to the checkpoint," Howell said in a prepared statement. "Our advice is to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items."

In addition to potential criminal charges, passengers who bring firearms to a checkpoint face civil penalties from TSA. More information about prohibited TSA items can be found here.