Overview
- A TSA X‑ray operator spotted dense, round objects in a checked suitcase and opened it on July 18 after the scanner flagged the bag.
- Officers followed explosives‑screening protocol by notifying a supervisor, contacting a regional explosives specialist, and calling local police to rule out a live threat.
- Officials determined the five cannonballs were inert but classified as prohibited artillery munitions and therefore not allowed on aircraft.
- Investigators traced paint catalog markings on the relics to Fort Morgan and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said a juvenile removed them from a storage area and put them in a relative’s bag.
- Fort Morgan declined to press charges, the cannonballs were returned, and the incident has prompted a review by the Alabama Historical Commission and broader attention to museum security and airport rules on historic munitions.