Surprising number of firearms found in carry-on luggage

The Transportation Security Agency has reported that during one week in September, they found a concerning record number of guns in passengers’ carry-on luggage at airport security.

During the week that ended Sept. 17, TSA agents discovered 67 guns in carry-on luggage in airports across the nation. The previous record for firearms found was 65 which was during a week in May 2013, according to NBC News.

Of the 67 guns found, 56 of them were loaded and 26 had a round chambered. The second full week of September also found an alarming number of throwing stars, stun guns, gunpowder and belt buckle knives, according to the TSA.

“Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds … This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home,” the TSA says in its weekly disclosure of weapon discoveries. The TSA adds that most passengers who pack heat in their carry-ons have “no ill intent.”

“In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items,” according to the TSA.

The law prohibits guns and gun parts in carry-on luggage, but passengers are still allowed to check these items if they first declare them with the airline. If a passenger fails to abide by these rules, they face fines of up to $11,000.

In 2015 alone, through August 31, TSA officers found almost 1,900 firearms in carry-on luggage. So far, this year is proving to be 28 percent higher in terms of the number of firearms found compared to the average of about 40 per week in 2014.

And from 2013 to 2014, twenty-two percent more firearms were found. The TSA is unsure as to whether the yearly increase if due to people traveling more with guns, or if TSA agents are being more vigilant.

In June, there was a 95 percent failure rate during an undercover test of weapons being passed over by TSA agents. The new TSA administrator, Peter Neffenger, has declared his goal is to “train out those failures” by the end of the month.

 

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