According to the Transportation Safety Administration, last year the TSA confiscated 6,542 guns at U.S. airport security checkpoints, a record number of an average of 18 per day. Excluding the 2020 low travel year during the COVID pandemic, the number of guns confiscated by the TSA has risen each year since 2010. It's obviously good that the guns were found and confiscated, but the sheer number of guns taken to airports is a disturbing trend, as many Republican-dominated states pass laws lifting restrictions on carrying guns. From the linked Associated Press report:
"Guns have been intercepted literally from Burbank, California, to Bangor, Maine. But it tends to happen more at bigger airports in areas with laws more friendly to carrying a gun, Pekoske said. The top 10 list for gun interceptions in 2022 includes Dallas, Austin and Houston in Texas; three airports in Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Phoenix; and Denver.
[TSA Administrator David] Pekoske isn’t sure the 'I forgot' excuse is always true or whether it’s a natural reaction to getting caught. Regardless, he said, it’s a problem that must stop." (our emphasis)
We imagine many, many more are in checked luggage, because many gun humpers can't bear having their arms denied to them for long. The report continues:
"Repercussions vary depending on local and state laws. The person may be arrested and have the gun confiscated. But sometimes they’re allowed to give the gun to a companion not flying with them and continue on their way. Unloaded guns can also be placed in checked bags assuming they follow proper procedures. [snip]
Last year TSA raised the maximum fine to $14,950 as a deterrent. Passengers also lose their PreCheck status — it allows them to bypass some types of screening — for five years. It used to be three years, but about a year ago the agency increased the time and changed the rules. Passengers may also miss their flight as well as lose their gun. If federal officials can prove the person intended to bring the gun past the checkpoint into what’s called the airport’s sterile area, it’s a federal offense." (our emphasis)
That's the America we live in, where packing guns in carry-on luggage or on your person is more and more common.
(photo montage: TSA)
