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Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022

Is Wisconsin House of Representatives candidate Derrick Van Orden on probation for carrying a loaded gun into an airport?


yes

In August 2021, Wisconsin House candidate Derrick Van Orden was cited for carrying a loaded gun into an Iowa airport. Court records show he had a loaded 9 mm handgun in his carry-on bag at the security checkpoint at the Cedar Rapids airport.  

He pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2021. Van Orden received two fines and had to take a firearms safety course. Van Orden was also placed on unsupervised probation through Dec. 27, 2022.

In a statement to Wisconsin Public Radio, Van Orden's campaign characterized the incident as "purely accidental."

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