A record 6,542 firearms were intercepted by the
Transportation Security Administration
at airports across the United States last year.
While most of the incidents were from people who claim to have forgotten they had a
gun
inside their luggage, the annual number of interceptions
has grown
every year since 2010, with the exception of 2020, when air travel drastically reduced as a result of the pandemic, the Associated Press reported.
The record 6,542 figure works out to roughly 18 guns intercepted by airport security on average each day of 2022. TSA Administrator David Pekoske assigns some of the blame to societal shifts.
“What we see in our checkpoints really reflects what we’re seeing in society, and in society, there are more people carrying firearms nowadays,” he said.
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While firearms have been intercepted by the TSA at airports of all sizes across the country, the airports with the most gun interceptions last year included three airports in Texas and three in Florida. Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Phoenix; and Denver rounded out the places with the most interceptions.
What happens to someone who inadvertently brings a gun through TSA depends on where the airport is. In some cases, the person can be arrested by local law enforcement and have their firearm seized, while in other places, they might be allowed to hand their gun off to a companion and still be able to board their flight.
Last year, the maximum fine for the offense was raised by the TSA to nearly $15,000. Those who get caught also lose their PreCheck status for five years. Additionally, if it is determined that the passenger intended to sneak the gun through security, they could be on the hook for a federal offense.
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“It’s disruptive no matter what,” retired TSA official Keith Jeffries told the Associated Press. “It’s a dangerous, prohibited item, and, let’s face it — you should know where your gun is at, for crying out loud.”
