TSA Confiscated 4000 Guns in 2017..Up 17%
There was a realistic-looking replica of a suicide vest found in a checked bag at an airport in ELP. A block of inert explosives was discovered in a carry-on bag at an airport in Florida. Hand grenades were confiscated from luggage at airports all over the country.
These, along with 3,957 firearms, were among the items discovered agents with the Transportation Security Administration discovered at airport security checkpoints in 2017.
In its “TSA Year in Review” report, the agency said a “record-setting” number of firearms were found in carry-on bags. With nearly 4,000 firearms for the year, that translates to about 10 firearms a day.
That’s up roughly 17 percent from 2016, when 3,391 firearms were found at checkpoints, TSA said. And the number of firearms found has risen steadily since TSA began tracking the number in 2005, when 660 firearms were found.
According to the agency 2 million travelers a day went through security check points last year and a total of 771.5 million passengers were screened.
TSA said nearly 35 percent of the firearms found had a round in the chamber. And “the most firearms discovered in one-month – a whopping 31″ were found in August at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the report.
Below are the top 10 airports where firearms were found and the number loaded with ammunition.
1. ATL: 245, 222 loaded.
2. DFW: 211, 165 loaded.
3. IAH: 142, 124 loaded.
4. DEN: 118, 102 loaded.
5. PHX: 115, 109 loaded.
6. TPA: 97, 90 loaded.
7. MCO: 94, 82 loaded.
8. DAL: 93, 81 loaded.
9. BNA: 89, 71 loaded.
10.SEA: 75, 60 loaded.
It wasn’t just guns. Passengers also tried to board with numerous other hazardous items.
A passenger was found with a live flashbang grenade in a carry-on bag at the San Diego International Airport. In Raleigh, a live smoke grenade was also found in a carry-on bag.
