Five small 19th-century historic cannonballs from Fort Morgan were discovered wrapped in paper towels in a passenger’s bag during a pre-flight screening at Gulf Shores International Airport on July 18. It was determined that the cannonballs were inert but were not the property of the passenger.
Transportation Security Administration officer Justin Dupree saw what appeared to be a large opaque item on his X-ray screen that he initially thought might be a grapefruit-sized medicine ball.
“My first thought was, I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick. I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive,” Dupree said. “I had never seen anything quite this unique. I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”
Investigators determined a juvenile visiting his grandparents had placed the cannonballs in his grandparent’s bag, but did not steal them. Officials at Fort Morgan State Historic Site did not want to press charges against the juvenile.
“I am very proud of the great catch and teamwork by our officers, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Shores Police Department,” said TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse. “Even if inert and not active, travelers should avoid bringing weapons of any kind, including replicas, to the airport. They can cause security alerts, flight delays and safety concerns.”
The largest of the five cannonballs confiscated at the security gate was roughly the size of a grapefruit, according to TSA.