Transportation

Firearm Discoveries Are Still Soaring At U.S. Airports [Infographic]


Every day, TSA agents at airports across the United States uncover a host of unusual and alarming objects in passengers’ luggage during security screening. Yesterday, agents in Baltimore uncovered something particularly strange and menacing – a missile launcher. The agents at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport found the item early on Monday in the checked baggage of a man returning from Kuwait. He was identified as a member of the U.S. military traveling home to Jacksonville and the non-functioning missile launcher was a souvenir from his time in the Middle East.

While a missile launcher is certainly an unusual find for the TSA, discovering firearms is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact the number of firearms found in carry-on bags is soaring and it reached record levels at the end of 2018. A grand total of 4,239 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at airports across the country – an average of 81.6 per week and 11.6 per day. 86.15% of the weapons discovered were loaded while 33.74% had a round chambered.

While TSA agents in Baltimore have earned the right to brag about their unusual find this week, their colleagues in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International can boast about finding the most firearms per year. In 2018, 298 weapons were discovered compared to 219 in second-place Dallas/Fort Worth International and 129 in Phoenix Sky Harbor International. Unusual items discovered at security screening last year include three smoke grenades in Nashville, an inert grenade in Las Vegas and five replica mortar shells in Orlando. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and the TSA may impose up civil penalties of up to $13,333 per violation per person for prohibited items.

*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)



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