January 17, 2024
When a firearm is discovered at a security checkpoint, agents contact local law enforcement, and the gun and the passenger are removed.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released an alarming figure regarding firearms being taken to U.S. airports in 2023.
Last year, TSA discovered a total of 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints. The weapons were screened before passengers were allowed in airports and aboard flights. The agency also stated that out of the firearms recovered at the checkpoints, 93% of them were loaded with ammunition. Last year’s total number of weapons found set a record that surpassed the previous year’s high of 6,542 firearms stopped at checkpoints.
“We are still seeing far too many firearms at TSA checkpoints, and what’s particularly concerning is the amount of them loaded, presenting an unnecessary risk to everyone at the TSA checkpoint,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a written statement. “Firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited in carry-on baggage. Passengers are only allowed to travel with an unloaded firearm if they pack it properly in a locked, hard-sided case in their checked baggage and first declare it to the airline at the check-in counter.”
The data collected by the agency reveals that 6,737 firearms were discovered across 265 airports. The top 10 airports with the most firearms recovered were:
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – 451 seizures
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – 378
Intercontinental Airport of Houston – 311
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – 235
Nashville International Airport – 188
Denver International Airport – 178
Orlando International Airport – 164
Tampa International Airport – 144
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport – 135
Dallas Love Field – 125
When a firearm is discovered at a security checkpoint, agents contact local law enforcement, and the gun and the passenger are removed. Depending on the jurisdiction, the passenger may be arrested and cited by local authorities. TSA does institute penalties on passengers, which may include a fine of up to approximately $15,000, and TSA PreCheck® eligibility being revoked for at least five years. They may also conduct enhanced screening to ensure no other threats are present.
