TSA finds a record number of guns at airport checkpoints, 93% of them loaded

The TSA said 93% of the 6,737 firearms recovered by its information officers astatine checkpoints were loaded.

For the 3rd twelvemonth successful a row, a grounds fig of hose passengers' guns were intercepted by airdrome information officers earlier those weapons could marque it aboard a flight.

Airport information officers prevented passengers from carrying much than 6,700 prohibited guns onto airplanes successful 2023, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

The TSA said 93% of the 6,737 firearms recovered by its information officers astatine checkpoints were loaded.

The erstwhile grounds for intercepted firearms astatine airports was acceptable successful 2022, with 6,542 firearms stopped astatine checkpoints, a fig that surpassed the erstwhile grounds successful 2021.

Last year, TSA screened much than 858 cardinal people, which indicates the bureau intercepted 7.8 firearms per cardinal passengers - a driblet from 8.6 per cardinal passengers successful 2022, the bureau said.

"We are inactive seeing acold excessively galore firearms astatine TSA checkpoints, and what's peculiarly concerning is the magnitude of them loaded, presenting an unnecessary hazard to everyone astatine the TSA checkpoint," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said Wednesday successful a quality release.

"Firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited successful carry-on baggage. Passengers are lone allowed to question with an unloaded firearm, and lone if they battalion it decently successful a locked, hard-sided lawsuit successful their checked baggage and archetypal state it to the hose astatine the check-in counter."

When a firearm is detected astatine a information checkpoint, officers instantly interaction section instrumentality enforcement, who region the rider and the firearm from the checkpoint area, the TSA said. Depending connected section laws, a instrumentality enforcement serviceman could apprehension oregon mention the passenger. TSA does not confiscate firearms.

TSA warns passengers who bring a weapon to a checkpoint look a good of up to $15,000, ineligibility for the PreCheck expedited screening programme and imaginable transgression charges.

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