People keep trying to bring guns on airplanes. TSA agents found more than ever in 2019
Airport security officers found a record number of guns in carry-on luggage in 2019, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
TSA found 4,432 guns in carry-on bags or on passengers last year, an average of 12.1 every day around the country, the federal agency said in a news release Wednesday. And 87% of the guns were loaded.
Agents also found a replica rocket-propelled grenade, hand grenades, axes, throwing stars and swords, according to the TSA.
“The most common explanation we hear from travelers for prohibited items is, ‘I forgot it was in my bag,’” the agency said. “Don’t be that person. Save yourself some money and embarrassment by thoroughly checking your bags for prohibited items before heading to the airport.”
The number of guns found by airport screeners has increased steadily over the past decade, with a 5% increase between 2018 and last year, according to a TSA news release.
“The continued increase in the number of firearms that travelers bring to airport checkpoints is deeply troubling,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.
TSA agents found guns at 278 airports around the United States, the agency said.
These are the airports where TSA says it found the most guns in 2019:
▪ Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International — 323
▪ Dallas/Fort Worth International — 217
▪ Denver International — 140
▪ George Bush Intercontinental — 138
▪ Phoenix Sky Harbor International — 132
Getting caught with a gun going through airport security can lead to arrest and thousands of dollars in fines.
“There is a proper way to travel safely with a firearm. First and foremost, it should be unloaded. Then it should be packed in a hard-sided locked case, taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared, and checked,” Pekoske said in the news release.
The TSA has guidelines on its website for travelers who want to bring firearms in checked luggage.
This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 9:24 AM with the headline "People keep trying to bring guns on airplanes. TSA agents found more than ever in 2019."
