TSA officer sees alarming shapes on X-ray before stolen Civil War mystery unravels

A routine baggage screening at an Alabama airport sparked an explosive scare when TSA officers discovered stolen historical artifacts inside a passenger's bag.

The artifacts were found in the checked bag of a passenger going through Gulf Shores International Airport (JKA), about 45 miles southeast of Mobile, Alabama, on July 18.

The TSA said the artifacts — five Civil War-era cannonballs — were discovered by Justin Dupree, a lead TSA officer at the airport, according to a story published on the TSA site on July 24.

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While screening the bag, Dupree "saw what appeared to be a large opaque item on his X-ray screen, which he initially thought might be a medicine ball."

The five cannonballs, all of different sizes, were wrapped in paper towels.

The larger ones were "about the size of grapefruits," Dupree said.

"My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,’" Dupree said, according to the TSA.

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"I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive."

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’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation," Dupree said.

Cash analyzed the X-ray image and agreed with Dupree that the cannonballs could pose a danger.

Regional TSA explosives specialists were notified, and local police and deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office responded to the airport.

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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The cannonballs were prohibited from flying because they were classified as artillery munitions and officers could not immediately determine whether they were inert, Cash said.

"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," he said.

Officials later found that the cannonballs had been stolen from Fort Morgan, a historic fort in Gasque, Alabama.

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital that a juvenile stole them from a storage area within the fort.

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The cannonballs "were being transported in the juvenile’s grandmother’s checked bag," officials said.

"Fort Morgan personnel were able to confirm the items as their property due to paint markings they apply to artifacts," the office added.

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"The grandmother stated that she did not know they were stolen. Fort Morgan’s director chose to not press charges, so there was no further action from us."

In a statement, TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse said that she was "very proud of the great catch and teamwork by Officers Dupree and Cash."

"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," said Corse.

Fox News Digital reached out to the TSA for further information and comment.