Record Number Of Guns Found In US Airport Searches

The Transportation Security Administration says a TSA officer staffing a checkpoint X-ray machine detected the handgun in a carry-on bag on Sunday. The tally set a new weekly record. TSA agents released pictures of guns found inside checked luggage at airports nationwide.

The previous record was 65 firearms that security agents discovered during a week in May 2013, TSA said. Of those 67 guns, 56 were loaded and 26 had a round chambered, according to the TSA.

In July, new TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger advised a congressional panel that his prime precedence can be to shut safety gaps at airport checkpoints.

A US House of Representatives hearing was opened after a Department of Homeland Security report that found TSA airport screeners did not detect banned weapons in 67 of 70 tests at dozens of airport checkpoints. This year is on track to see a 28 percent spike in the number of firearms found compared to the 2,212 guns – an average of about 40 a week – discovered by TSA agents in 2014. On September 24, a man was stopped at a Greater Rochester global Airport checkpoint in New York, when they detected a gun in his carry-on bag.

“This incident serves as a reminder that passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to the security checkpoint, and TSA’s advice to passengers is to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items”, Farbstein said.

Fliers can travel with firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. Those who don’t follow the guidelines can face fines up to $11,000.