Security officers at Gulf Shores International Airport have screened plenty of unusual items, but nothing quite like what rolled through the checkpoint on a recent Saturday: a heavy, round object that looked like an old-fashioned medicine ball, packed inside a traveler’s luggage.
It turned out to be a set of Civil War-era cannonballs — five of them, as it turned out — and they had been stolen from Fort Morgan, the historic masonry fort that guards Mobile Bay just down the coast.
“An Indiana Jones-Esque Situation”
According to the Transportation Security Administration, a passenger was going through security at the beachside airport when officers noticed the large, suspicious object in a bag. Officer Justin Dupree said he had never seen anything like it.
“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” Dupree said in a statement. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque, stolen-artifact-type situation.”
Unable to see a fuse or determine whether the objects were inert, agents treated the find as a potential explosive hazard and quickly called supervisors, who alerted several law enforcement agencies.
“My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,'” Dupree said. “I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive.”
From the Fort to the Checkpoint
In all, agents identified five cannonballs in the luggage. Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Shores police officers took over the investigation and determined the artifacts had been stolen from Fort Morgan State Historic Site, the star-shaped fort that guards the entrance to Mobile Bay and saw battle during the Civil War.
Captain Justin Correa of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said a juvenile visiting the area with his grandparents allegedly took the artifacts, though investigators do not believe he was the one who broke into the fort. The juvenile, according to Correa, placed the cannonballs in his grandparent’s bag — which was then flagged at the airport.
The fort’s director opted not to press charges against the juvenile, Correa said.
A Warning for Travelers
TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse praised the teamwork between the agencies, while reminding travelers that military artifacts and replicas have no place in carry-on bags.
“I am very proud of the great catch and teamwork by Officers Dupree and Cash and TSA Alabama along with our tremendous partnership with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Shores Police Department,” Corse said. “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 cannonballs were recovered and returned for safekeeping while the theft investigation continues. Fort Morgan, now a state historic site, remains one of Baldwin County’s most visited attractions, and site officials encouraged anyone with information about thefts from the property to report it to law enforcement.