Firearms Found in Carry-on Bags: More Than 2,200 Guns Detected in 2014

More than 2,200 firearms were found in carry-on bags at airport checkpoints in 2014, a record-breaking number that represents a 22-percent increase from the year before, a government press release said Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security released its comprehensive travel and trade-related statistics recently, which includes information combined from the Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Of the 2,212 guns discovered during checkpoint inspections, 84 percent were loaded, the DHS data said. The top five airports where the firearms were discovered remained the same as in 2013:

• Dallas/Fort Worth International: 120
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: 109
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: 78
• Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport: 77
• Denver International Airport: 70

"The most common excuse people give when we detect a firearm in their carry-on bag is that they forgot. The second most common excuse is that their husband or wife packed the bag," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told ABC News. "We have no reason to believe that any of the individuals who have been stopped with firearms at checkpoints have had any intent to cause harm."

People can legally fly with their firearms, but they must follow procedures.

"The correct way is to pack your firearm in a hard-sided case. The gun must be unloaded. The case must have a lock on it," Farbstein told ABC.

The TSA screened more than 653 million passengers and CBP processed 31 million imports, $2.4 trillion in trade, and 374 million travelers last year, the release said. For CBP, processing that many air, land, and sea travelers was an increase of 4 percent over 2013.

Despite increased processing of international air travelers — up 4.7 percent over 2013 — DHS said the average wait times were down 13 percent at the top 10 airports. John F. Kennedy International Airport, the transit hub with the most passenger volume in the United States, reported an average wait time that was down 28 percent in 2014.

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