The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says security officers at airport checkpoints intercepted a total of 6,737 firearms in 2023, including more than 500 discovered at DFW and Love Field.
The number of firearms spotted set a new annual record and surpassed the 2022 record total of 6,542 firearms.
Two of the Top 10 airports for firearm discoveries are Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the top two airports for passenger traffic in the United States. ATL agents discovered 451 in 2023 while DFW agents found 378.
Dallas Love Field made the list, too, coming in at No. 10 with 125 weapons found.
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Last year the TSA screened more than 858 million people, which works out to 7.8 firearms found per million passengers. Despite the rise in firearms found, the rate they were found was a drop from the 8.6 found per million passengers in 2022.
What's perhaps most shocking is that the TSA said 93% of the discovered firearms were loaded.
“We are still seeing far too many firearms at TSA checkpoints, and what’s particularly concerning is the amount of them loaded, presenting an unnecessary risk to everyone at the TSA checkpoint,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited in carry-on baggage. Passengers are only allowed to travel with an unloaded firearm, and only if they pack it properly in a locked, hard-sided case in their checked baggage and first declare it to the airline at the check-in counter.”
TOP 10 AIRPORTS FOR FIREARM DISCOVERIES (2023)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Nashville International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- Tampa International Airport
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
- Dallas Love Field Airport
The TSA said in a statement Wednesday that when security officers find a firearm, they notify local police who remove the passenger and the weapon from the checkpoint area.
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"Depending on local laws, the law enforcement officer may arrest or cite the passenger. TSA does not confiscate firearms," the TSA said.
The TSA warned that in addition to any action taken by local law enforcement, the TSA can fine passengers who bring a firearm into a TSA checkpoint with a civil penalty up to approximately $15,000. Additionally, they can revoke TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years and may conduct enhanced screening to ensure there are no other threats present.
For more information on how to properly travel with a firearm, visit the transporting firearms and ammunition page on TSA.gov.
