US: TSA on pace to collect record 4,000 firearms from airline passengers in 2017

Security officers at US airports are on pace to confiscate nearly 4,000 firearms from travellers in 2017, surpassing a record set last year by nearly 15%. The TSA publishes a weekly tally of weapons found. As of Christmas Eve, 3,888 firearms had been discovered on passengers at US airport checkpoints for the year. The final week of the year, when travel is busiest, is likely to push that total close to 4,000, according to TSA officials. At the end of 2016, the TSA reported it has taken 3,391 firearms from passengers, a 28% increase from the previous year. Although the latest numbers show that the rate of increase in firearm seizures is slowing, other aspects remain about the same. For instance, the share of guns found loaded over the past three years has held steady at 83%. The three airports that have led the nation in most guns uncovered have been Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Most of the guns have been found in carry-on bags but some have been concealed in stuffed animals, potted plants and mixed in with tools, according to the TSA.<br/>