What to Know
- More guns were found at NYC-area airports in 2019 than the previous year
- The TSA says its agents stopped 27 guns from going through the checkpoints last year
- Nationwide, 4,432 guns were caught at 278 airporints, according to the agency
Travelers around New York City brought more guns of the airport in 2019 than they did the previous year --- and the number nationwide has been increasing for the past several years, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
TSA agents at Newark International Airport, JFK, LaGuardia and Long Island Airport stopped 27 guns from going through the checkpoints last year, the agency said Wednesday. In 2018, 20 guns were found.
Across the United States, TSA caught more firearms than ever before in the agency’s 18-year history. Officers around the country found 4,432 guns in 2019, compared to 4,239 guns in 2018 and 926 guns in 2008.
The majority of guns found last year were in Newark with 11, JFK had eight, Laguardia had seven and Long Island had one.
“The continued increase in the number of firearms that travelers bring to airport checkpoints is deeply troubling,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.
While traveling with a firearm isn't strictly prohibited, people are only allowed to carry unloaded guns (packed in a hard case, locked and kept separate from ammunition) in their checked baggage, according to the TSA.
Local
Of all the guns found at 278 different airports, the top three destinations with the most weapons found were Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Dallas/Fort Worth International and Denver International.
