A record for gun seizures was established at American airports in 2022, with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reportedly intercepting more than 6,500 guns during that 12-month span.
Gun seizures during TSA screenings of 6,542 amounts to "roughly 18 a day."
It is worth noting, though: When reviewing case incidents for the 6,500-plus gun seizures at TSA checkpoints, "nearly everyone" caught with a gun in their bags or suitcases claimed it was an unintentional move.
The passengers claimed to have forgotten about the weapon previously being stored in their personal belongings.
According to an observation from Fox News, the number of weapons intercepted at airport checkpoints "has climbed every year since 2010" — with the notable exception of the "pandemic-disrupted 2020."
In a recent media interview, TSA David Pekoske suggested the rise in airport gun seizures reflects that more Americans are carrying guns today than at any other time in modern history.
"What we see in our checkpoints really reflects what we're seeing in society, and in society there are more people carrying firearms nowadays," Pekoske said.
Last year, the TSA raised the maximum fine to $14,950.
In addition to the heavy fine, there are three other potential deterrents for committing a gun-seizure infraction at the airport:
- Passengers might miss their scheduled flight.
- Passengers also lose their PreCheck status — which allows them to bypass some types of screening — for five years.
- Federal officials would consider bringing federal charges against a gun-carrying offender — if they believe the passengers were intentionally trying to skirt federal regulations for traveling.
Regarding firearms and ammunition, the TSA website noted airplane travelers are only permitted to transport unloaded firearms in a locked hard-sided container as checked baggage.
The passengers are also legally obligated to declare their firearm and/or ammunition to the airline when checking bags at the ticket counter.
"The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed," according to TSA guidelines.
In its rankings of the top 10 U.S. airports reporting gun seizures last year during screenings, eight involved southern states, such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia; and the other two airports were stationed in Colorado (Denver) and Arizona (Phoenix).
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