Home / Crime and Justice / TSA Agent Discovers Civil War Relics in Suitcase
TSA Agent Discovers Civil War Relics in Suitcase
31 Jul
Summary
- Civil War cannonballs were found in checked luggage at Alabama's Gulf Shores Airport.
- A TSA agent initially mistook the artifacts for potential explosives.
- The cannonballs were identified as stolen from Fort Morgan and returned.
During a security screening at Alabama's Gulf Shores International Airport on July 18, a TSA agent discovered a set of Civil War-era cannonballs packed in a passenger's suitcase. The agent's initial concern about potential explosives prompted a supervisor notification.
These five cannonballs, though inactive, were identified as stolen relics from nearby Fort Morgan. Paint markings on the artifacts confirmed their Civil War origin and connection to the historic fort.
Law enforcement traced the theft to a juvenile who placed the cannonballs in their grandmother's checked luggage. The grandmother was unaware of the theft, and Fort Morgan declined to press charges. The artifacts were safely returned to the fort.
