Man tries to carry loaded gun onto plane at YVR
Ladysmith .38 calibre revolver
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Updated: November 18, 2009 1:08 PM
An airport security screener earned his paycheque Tuesday when he spotted what turned out to be a loaded revolver inside a Vancouver man's carry-on backpack.
The man was making his way through the airport security screening area in the domestic terminal building at the Vancouver International Airport when he placed his backpack down for inspection by an x-ray machine, Richmond RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Pound said.
That's when the airport employee saw the weapon's distinct x-ray shadow.
The man was found to be carrying a loaded .38 calibre Ladysmith revolver with extra ammunition, and he was pulled aside by security screeners.
Richmond Mounties were called and took Shannon F. Rennie, 34, into custody after he admitted that the gun was inside his backpack.
Pound said Rennie was "very cooperative" with investigators.
"Clearly, there's something more to this story," Pound said.
For someone to think they'd be able to carry a loaded weapon onto a plane without getting caught is to say the least brazen, she said.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether the man simply forgot the handgun was in the backpack, or whether he had something else in mind.
Rennie, who is known to police, was scheduled to appear in Richmond provincial court on Wednesday.
He's charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a restricted weapon, improper storage of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
In 1998, Rennie was fined $500 and sentenced to one day in jail for two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, one count of assaulting a peace officer, and one count of failing to make a court appearance.
