A TSA officer at Gulf Shores International Airport in Alabama flagged suspicious shapes on an X-ray of a passenger's checked bag, leading to the discovery of stolen Civil War-era cannonballs. The find highlights how routine airport security screening can inadvertently uncover unrelated crimes, in this case connected to historical artifacts with potential safety hazards given the explosive nature of old ordnance.

The screening took place on 18 July at the small regional airport, located around 45 miles south-east of Mobile. TSA officials confirmed the bag contained five Civil War cannonballs that had reportedly been stolen, prompting further investigation into the artifacts' origin and the circumstances of the theft.