TSA officers stopped 6,542 firearms from getting through airport security checkpoints in 2022. This is an increase of over 300% in just the last decade. Firearms were caught at 262 airports nationwide. TSA reports that of the guns caught in 2022 approximately 88% were loaded.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia TSA officers found more than one gun every day. The 2022 total for Atlanta was 448 firearms. The next top airports were Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, 385 firearms, George Bush Airport Houston, Texas, 298 firearms, Nashville Airport, Tennessee, 213 firearms and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Arizona, 196 firearms.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms if they are in their checked baggage. Guns must be unloaded and packed in a locked case. Ammunition must be in its original box. The firearm must be brought to the attention of the airline at the check-in counter. Firearms are transported in the belly of the aircraft so that they are not accessible during flight.
Earlier this week a man was stopped at Washington National Airport when security found a loaded .25-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag. The man claimed he forgot he had his gun with him. He was cited on a weapon charge that carries a penalty of no more than $15,000.
Question - should someone who forgets they are carrying around a loaded gun be allowed to own a deadly weapon?
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