The Transportation Security Administration is on track to see a record number of passengers bringing guns to U.S. airports this year, with a surge in gun collections at security checkpoints in July, according to the Washington Examiner.
TSA officers collected 1,861 firearms in the first six months of 2017, according to agency data. If this rate continues through December, TSA should expect to find 3,722 guns by the end of the year, compared to 3,391 firearms seized from passengers’ carry-on bags in 2016. In 2010, only 1,1123 firearms were found. The majority of firearms that travelers bring to checkpoints are loaded.
The most common excuses passengers use when a firearm is discovered is that they either forgot they had their gun with them or that their significant other packed their bag.