The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported a record-breaking discovery of 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2023, surpassing the previous year’s record of 6,542 guns and marking the highest annual total since the agency’s post-9/11 establishment.
According to TSA Administrator David Pekoske, approximately 93% of the detected weapons were loaded, a statistic he deemed “concerning.”
In a statement, Pekoske expressed worry over the high number of loaded firearms, emphasizing the unnecessary risk they pose to everyone at TSA checkpoints.
Three airports alone accounted for over 1,100 of the discovered guns. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest in the nation, led with 451 firearms found in carry-ons.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport followed with 378, and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport ranked third with 311 firearms.
Pekoske reiterated that carrying guns and ammunition in carry-on bags is strictly prohibited. He emphasized that passengers are allowed to travel with an unloaded firearm only if it is packed appropriately in a locked, hard-sided case within their checked baggage and declared to the airline during check-in.
