TSA: Officers find cannonballs in checked bags at Gulf Shores International Airport

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, posted on its website that five cannonballs were found in a checked bag at Gulf Shores International Airport.

Here is the release:

Cannonball run! ‘Indiana Jones-esque’ discovery by TSA at Alabama airport

Friday, July 24, 2026

One of five cannonballs TSA officers discovered in a checked bag at Gulf Shores International Airport. (TSA JKA photo)

It wasn’t quite globetrotting archaeologist Indiana Jones uncovering an ancient artifact, but TSA officers discovered a stolen historic relic while screening a passenger’s checked bag at Alabama’s Gulf Shores International Airport (JKA).

After the bag alarmed, Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree saw what appeared to be a large opaque item on his X-ray screen, which he initially thought might be a medicine ball.

It turns out 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.

“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.”

Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree in the JKA checked baggage screening area. (TSA JKA photo)

The cannonballs, which came through JKA on Saturday, July 18, were different sizes, with Dupree saying the larger ones were about the size of grapefruits and weighed about the same as a small shotput.

“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” noted Dupree, a TSA officer for four years. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”

After arriving on the scene, Supervisory TSA Officer Richard Cash was stopped at the checked baggage screening room door by Dupree who said there may have been an explosive item in the bag.

“I observed the X-ray image and the bag and concurred we had a potentially dangerous item,” said Cash. “I then instructed Justin to maintain control of the bag until I made the proper notifications.”

Two small inert cannonballs TSA officers discovered in a checked bag at JKA. (TSA JKA photo)

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. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office quickly responded.

“I had never seen anything like this,” Cash said. “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.”

Fortunately, the cannonballs were inert and didn’t contain any explosive material or active components, but they couldn’t go on the plane for more reasons than one.

“Technically, they were artillery munitions and considered prohibited items,” explained Cash. “With assistance from the [explosives expert] and law enforcement and because we were unable to initially determine they were inert, they could have been dangerous to the aircraft.”

Supervisory TSA Officer Richard Cash (TSA JKA photo)

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. However, police say the passenger was unaware how they were taken.

The good news is the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office was able to return the cannonballs to their rightful home at Fort Morgan.

“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. “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.”

By Don Wagner, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs