Over 1,500 firearms were intercepted at US airports from January to March – and the vast majority were loaded
The TSA reports that its officers intercepted 1,503 firearms in carry-on bags at security checkpoints in US airports during Q1 2024. That number runs very close with TSA interceptions in Q1 2023, in which 1,508 firearms were intercepted, the agency said in a news release. Overall, 2023 set a record for the number of firearms uncovered by officers at security checkpoints. To help those numbers sink in, the 2024 interceptions come out to an average of 16.5 detections per day from January to March. For Q1 2023, the interceptions came out to an average of 16.8 detections per day. Even though the number of firearms discovered was nearly steady, that average Q1 rate was lower in 2024 because some 15m more passengers were screened than the comparable period last year. More people plus roughly same number of firearms equals a lower rate. But there’s a shocking stat that has stayed the same – in both time periods, 93% of those intercepted firearms were loaded with ammo. “While it is certainly promising that the rate of passengers bringing firearms to the checkpoint has decreased, one firearm at the checkpoint is too many,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in the news release. “The demand for air travel is as strong as ever and security is always our number one priority. Every time we discover a firearm at the checkpoint, the security screening process is slowed down for all.” People are allowed to ferry their firearms on flights, but they are “prohibited at security checkpoints, in the secure area of an airport and in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, even if a passenger has a concealed carry permit or is in a constitutional carry jurisdiction,” TSA said. Instead, the firearm “must be packed properly as checked baggage and declared to the airline at the ticket counter,” Pekoske said.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-04-12/general/over-1-500-firearms-were-intercepted-at-us-airports-from-january-to-march-2013-and-the-vast-majority-were-loaded
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Over 1,500 firearms were intercepted at US airports from January to March – and the vast majority were loaded
The TSA reports that its officers intercepted 1,503 firearms in carry-on bags at security checkpoints in US airports during Q1 2024. That number runs very close with TSA interceptions in Q1 2023, in which 1,508 firearms were intercepted, the agency said in a news release. Overall, 2023 set a record for the number of firearms uncovered by officers at security checkpoints. To help those numbers sink in, the 2024 interceptions come out to an average of 16.5 detections per day from January to March. For Q1 2023, the interceptions came out to an average of 16.8 detections per day. Even though the number of firearms discovered was nearly steady, that average Q1 rate was lower in 2024 because some 15m more passengers were screened than the comparable period last year. More people plus roughly same number of firearms equals a lower rate. But there’s a shocking stat that has stayed the same – in both time periods, 93% of those intercepted firearms were loaded with ammo. “While it is certainly promising that the rate of passengers bringing firearms to the checkpoint has decreased, one firearm at the checkpoint is too many,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in the news release. “The demand for air travel is as strong as ever and security is always our number one priority. Every time we discover a firearm at the checkpoint, the security screening process is slowed down for all.” People are allowed to ferry their firearms on flights, but they are “prohibited at security checkpoints, in the secure area of an airport and in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, even if a passenger has a concealed carry permit or is in a constitutional carry jurisdiction,” TSA said. Instead, the firearm “must be packed properly as checked baggage and declared to the airline at the ticket counter,” Pekoske said.<br/>
