1,508 guns seized at US airports in first quarter of 2023, up 10.3% from 2022 in same period, data shows

New Delhi: The number of guns collected at airport checkpoints jumped in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to The Hill report, citing new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) data.

During the first quarter, which ended March 31, TSA officials seized 1,508 firearms and they discovered that 93 per cent of the weapons were loaded. It represented a 10.3 per cent rise over the 1,367 firearms that were seized at checkpoints during the same period in 2022, more than 86 per cent of which were loaded, according to the report.

The number of passengers also has increased in the past year, with the first quarter of 2023 about 20 per cent higher than in 2022. Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) scanned more than 191 million passengers in the first quarter of 2023, compared to about 158 million passengers during the same period last year, said the report, citing a press release from the agency.

The number of firearms taken by officers by the end of the first quarter averaged 16.8 per day, compared to 15.2 last year.

Loaded arms pose security threat

“Firearms at TSA security checkpoints present an unacceptable safety and security risk to other passengers and I am deeply concerned that the majority of these firearms our TSOs catch are loaded,” The Hill quoted TSA Administrator David Pekoske as saying in a statement.

“If you carry a firearm to the checkpoint, our TSOs will see it and there will be significant penalties, to include federal penalties and additional screening, which may prolong the security screening process,” he added.

“You may still travel with a firearm — it just must be properly packed in your checked baggage and you must declare it to the airline.”

Penalty for flouting norms

In a news statement, the TSA stated that anyone who violates the weapon restrictions will have their status for TSA PreCheck suspended for five years. The TSA revised its penalties for breaking the guns rules last year, and according to the press release, passengers could be fined up to $14,950. The local city or state rules in the area can also apply to people bringing firearms to security checks.

TSA policy states no one can have a firearm in their carry-on luggage, even if they have a concealed carry permit. The policy also states that those traveling with a firearm must have it in a checked bag and declare it with the airline once they are checked in.

With inputs from agencies

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