Vancouver man attempted to fly to Ontario with loaded gun in bag

Police are still trying to find out why a 34-year-old man flying from Vancouver International Airport to Ontario had a loaded gun in his carry on bag. The weapon was detected by X-ray machines. The man is known to police.

RICHMOND, B.C. - A man previously accused of trafficking narcotics and assaulting a cop is in custody after being caught with a fully loaded handgun concealed in a carry-on bag at Vancouver international Airport. Cops were astounded that someone would even try to take a loaded gun aboard a plane in a carry-on bag. The man was flying to Ontario when his carry-on bag was put through an X-ray machine and the loaded weapon with extra ammunition was detected. "It’s hard to imagine what goes through the mind of someone attempting to transport a firearm in their carry on bag. I don’t even want to speculate why this happened. At this point we just need to get to the bottom of why he was carrying a firearm and why he made such a bold move in attempting to transport it," said Richmond RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Jennifer Pound. RCMP were called to the airport by the Canadian Air Transportation Security Agency, CATSA. "Just after 6:00 am a 34-year-old male, traveling to Ontario, was attempting to go through the airport screening device and put his carry on bag on the x-ray table, as all travelers do. As the bag passed through the x-ray machine CATSA noticed an image resembling a handgun," she said. "RCMP were on scene within minutes and also viewed the image on screen. The male was arrested and a search of his bag revealed a loaded .38 calibre Ladysmith revolver with extra ammunition packed as well," said Pound. The passenger, Shannon Francis Rennie, was charged a decade ago with assaulting a police officer, possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking as well as failure to appear, according to B.C. court records. Now, he has been charged with five more counts relating to the Airport gun seizure.