TSA Lead Officer Justin Dupree spotted five stolen Civil War-era cannonballs in checked luggage during X-ray screening at Gulf Shores International Airport on July 18
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The discovery was made at Gulf Shores International Airport when Dupree spotted the projectiles during X-ray screening and immediately alerted TSA bomb specialists and local law enforcement, unsure whether they were live explosives
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The cannonballs came through the Alabama airport on Saturday, July 18, in different sizes, with the larger ones about the size of grapefruits and weighing about the same as a small shotput
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After the bag alarmed, Dupree saw what appeared to be a large opaque item on his X-ray screen, which he initially thought might be a medicine ball
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“My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,'” Dupree recalled. “I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive.”
The five small cannonballs, stolen from nearby Fort Morgan, were wrapped in paper towels inside the traveler’s bag, so Dupree quickly called for a supervisor
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He quickly alerted his supervisor, Richard Cash, a supervisory TSA officer. Dupree, who’s been a TSA officer for about four years, said he had “never seen anything quite this unique.”
“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” Dupree said. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”
“I observed the X-ray image and the bag and concurred we had a potentially dangerous item,” said Cash
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“I then instructed Justin to maintain control of the bag until I made the proper notifications.” Cash contacted the region’s TSA explosives specialist and assistant federal security director-law enforcement who asked them to notify local police to see if they needed a bomb squad
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Cash told TSA officials that he “had never seen anything like this.” “It was my first time dealing with a potentially live explosive, and it’s actually only the second incident we’ve had since JKA opened in May 2025,” he said
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“That would have to be the weirdest thing in our short existence that we’ve ever had come through TSA,” said Airport Director Jesse Fosnaugh
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The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed the cannonballs were inert and posed no explosive threat
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A police investigation determined the cannonballs were stolen from historic Fort Morgan, which played a significant role in several military conflicts, most notably the Civil War
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The sheriff’s office said a juvenile stole the cannonballs from a storage area within Fort Morgan before they were transported in the juvenile’s grandmother’s checked bag
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The unidentified passenger also said she obtained the cannonballs at a roadside stand
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“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,” proclaimed TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse
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“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.”
Fort Morgan personnel confirmed the cannonballs belonged to the historic site because of paint markings they apply to artifacts, according to the sheriff’s office
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The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office was able to return the cannonballs to their rightful home at Fort Morgan
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Fort Morgan’s director chose not to pursue charges, and the sheriff’s office said no further action was taken
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The Alabama Historical Commission is continuing to investigate how the artifacts were removed from the fort
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