US: Air passenger traffic is down 75% but TSA found 3 times the rate of guns it did in July last year

Despite a sharp decrease in air travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, the TSA said the rate of guns found per passenger screened at airport security checkpoints last month was up three times over last year's figure. TSA said Monday that it discovered more than 300 guns in carry-on baggage nationwide in July, which it said is about 15.3 guns per million people screened. That's up from the rate of 5.1 guns per million people in July 2019 even though air passenger traffic is down 75%. The agency said about 80% of the firearms found in carry-on bags at checkpoints were loaded. Officers at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport -- the world's busiest -- found 27 guns, or nearly one daily, in July. The numbers do not include weapons properly packed in checked baggage. Those weapons must be packed in a secured and hard-sided container and declared to airline officials when checking in. TSA noted that some airlines have additional restrictions on transporting firearms and ammunition, and that local laws vary. The increase comes on the heels of officers discovering more guns last year than in any previous year. The 4,432 guns found at checkpoints in 2019 marked a 5% increase over those found in 2018.<br/>