Along with the increase in total passengers who traveled, there was a dramatic jump in the number of firearms discovered at checkpoints around the nation. In total, 3,391 guns were found in carry-on bags, which represents a 28% increase over last year's firearm discoveries. 83% of the guns discovered were loaded — certainly an unnerving statistic, but thankfully the TSA remained vigilant and discovered these weapons before they were allowed anywhere near the inside of an airplane.
Firearms were discovered at a total of 238 airports across the country, with Atlanta (ATL), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Phoenix (PHX), Denver (DEN), Orlando (MCO), Nashville (BNA), Tampa (TPA), Austin (AUS) and Salt Lake City (SLC) making up the top 10 airports in terms of number of guns discovered.
Of course it't not just guns that get discovered and confiscated — the TSA comes across many peculiar items, such as grenades, sword canes, comb knives, machetes, saws and axes. It's alarming to see just how many dangerous weapons are confiscated, but we're grateful that the agency's checkpoint system is effective in preventing these items from boarding planes with passengers.
