More than 12 guns a day seized at US airports in 2019

There has been a 354 per cent jump in the number of guns seized over a 10 year period

Cathy Adams
Thursday 16 January 2020 11:34 GMT
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More than 12 guns a day seized at US airports last year, says the TSA
More than 12 guns a day seized at US airports last year, says the TSA

More than 12 guns a day were found at US airports last year, a record high.

Official statistics from the Transport Security Administration (TSA) show that 4,432 guns were seized from passengers in 2019, a 5 per cent increase year on year and the highest in the agency’s history.

The number of guns seized at security checkpoints has steadily increased year-on-year over the past 11 years. The 2019 figure marks a 354 per cent jump over the past 10 years: in 2009, 976 guns were found.

Eighty-seven per cent of guns discovered last year were loaded, the TSA added.

Guns were found at 278 airports across the US.

The airport where the most guns were discovered last year was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, with 323 firearms seized.

Elsewhere, 217 guns were found at Dallas/Fort Worth International, Texas; 140 at Denver International, Colorado; 138 at George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, Texas; and 132 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Arizona.

Guns are not permitted to be carried onboard, even with a concealed weapon permit. Travellers who bring guns to the airport are subject to criminal charges and fines of up to $13,000 (£9,950) depending on the weapon, said the TSA.

Passengers with proper permits can carry guns in their checked bags, although possession laws can vary, depending on the state and the airline.

“The continued increase in the number of firearms that travellers bring to airport checkpoints is deeply troubling,” said TSA administrator David Pekoske.

“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.”

As for the most shocking item found at a US checkpoint last year: "Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s Old Town Road," according to the TSA blog.

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