Transportation Security Administration officers across the country found a record high 26 guns in one day on people attempting to pass through airport checkpoints before boarding planes.
The 26 firearms were found across 15 airports nationwide on May 3, the Department of Homeland Security agency said in a press release.
Officers found four guns each at Atlanta’s ATL and Houston’s IAH airports. In addition, 21 of the 26 guns were loaded.
A total of 90 guns were found on passengers and in luggage from April 30 to May 6; more than 80 percent of those guns were loaded.
In February, agents set a record for most guns found in one week. A total of 104 firearms were uncovered in air travel passengers’ carry-on bags Feb. 5-11. The new record is nearly a 10 percent hike from the previous record of 96 guns set in July 2017.
Last year, agents found a record high 3,957 guns in passenger carry-on bags, nearly five times the number seized a decade ago. An average of 10.8 guns were found each day, or 75 per week, in 2017.
TSA has attributed the spike to an overall increase in air travel passengers.
Firearm possession laws vary with state and local laws, but in states where they are allowed, firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage.
All parts, including ammunition, must be declared at the airline ticket counter during the check-in process. Those who do not follow the law can be arrested and fined civil penalties up to $13,066, and repeated violations can result in higher penalties.
