Agents at the Transportation Security Administration stopped a record 6,737 firearms at airport checkpoints last year — 93% of which were loaded.
That number is an increase from the 6,542 firearms stopped in 2022, and the 5,972 firearms intercepted at security checkpoints in 2021, according to the TSA.
“We’re still seeing too many firearms at TSA checkpoints, and what’s concerning is the number of guns being loaded, putting everyone at TSA checkpoints at unnecessary risk,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
The 2023 record-breaking follows a troubling trend: The number of guns intercepted by officers has tripled over the past decade, according to an analysis by Forbes.
TSA officials blamed the increase in unauthorized carriage laws, which are now in place in 28 states.
“We have an unprecedented increase in the population of new gun owners. And then we have a significant increase in new air travelers,” TSA officials told Forbes last year.
A record 6,737 firearms were found in travelers’ luggage last year — 93% of which were loaded. The Washington Post via Getty Images TSA officers at Hollywood Burbank Airport found a top-loaded handgun in a passenger’s carry-on bag. Transportation Security Administration
Most of the flyers carrying guns came from airports in Southern states with less strict gun laws, Forbes reported.
Topping the list is Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where TSA agents stopped 451 firearms at security checkpoints last year.
Second place was Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where TSA agents prevented 378 firearms from boarding planes.
The minimum penalty for flying with an undeclared firearm is $3,000. Transportation Security Administration
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport was third with 311 guns.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport stopped 235 firearms from boarding planes, and Denver International Airport stopped 178.
The TSA does provide a way for them to legally travel with a gun, but the firearm must be in a locked, hard case in checked baggage, and travelers must notify the airline of the firearm when they check their bag.
Southern states have the most detections. Passenger Transportation Security Administration Illegally traveling with a handgun is subject to penalties under local law. ZUMAPRESS.com
Flyers who violate this rule are subject to whatever local laws dictate penalties — criminal laws vary by city or state. But civil penalties also apply.
The minimum penalty for flying with an undeclared firearm is $3,000 and the cost rises to $14,950 for repeat offenders.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
