TSA reports spike in travelers trying to bring guns through airport checkpoints

On Monday, WSOC-TV reported that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reporting an upsurge in the number of firearms being found on passengers going through airport security checkpoints.

"As numbers bounce back to almost pre-pandemic levels, Channel 9 has seen how one gun found at a checkpoint can have an impact on many other passengers looking to catch a flight. TSA officials said the one thing that can bring smooth security lines to a screeching halt are guns found at checkpoints," said the report. "In 2021, Charlotte Douglas set a record — 106 guns found at security checkpoints, and TSA leaders said that this year, passengers may break that record."

Attempting to bring a gun through a security checkpoint is punishable by fines of up to $10,000 and can result in arrest.

"Security officials said each time someone attempts to bring a weapon through security, it impacts more than just one person. They said it could impact dozens if not hundreds of passengers at times, because security shuts down that entire checkpoint lane for 20 minutes or more," said the report.

TSA official Mark Howell said, “We do that for everyone’s safety because 85-90% of the firearms we find are loaded.”

Earlier this year, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) attracted national attention after he was cited for trying to bring a gun through an airport checkpoint — the second time he had done so.