Record number of guns found at airport checkpoints in 2023, TSA says
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on January 10, 2024
(NEW YORK) — Officers with the Transportation Security Administration found 6,737 guns — a record high — at airport security checkpoints across the U.S. last year, the agency said Wednesday.
About 93% of the guns found were loaded, the TSA said.
This marks the third year in a row that a record number of guns were confiscated by airport security.
The total of 6,737 guns surpasses the previous record of 6,542 guns that were discovered at TSA checkpoints in 2022. That 2022 record broke the previous record of 5,972 guns recovered in 2021, according to TSA.
Flyers caught trying to bring firearms in their carry-on baggage can face arrest or citations from local law enforcement.
Passengers can also face civil penalties from the TSA up to almost $15,000 and risk losing their TSA PreCheck eligibility for five years.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile contributed to this report.
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