Record number of guns found at Memphis airport this year

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Transportation Security Administration officers at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee discovered a record number of guns at security checkpoints this year, officials said.

TSA security officers have found 48 firearms in carry-on baggage in 2021, surpassing the record of 47 guns set in 2018 and again last year, the agency said in a statement Monday.

Travelers face criminal and civil penalties for bringing firearms to a security checkpoint. Guns can be transported on a commercial aircraft only if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and placed in checked baggage.

Holding guns in carry-on bags “is dangerous to other travelers and can be easily mistaken as an intentional attempt to bring a prohibited item onto an aircraft,” the agency said.

A news conference was planned Tuesday to discuss the number of guns seized and demonstrate the proper way to travel with a firearm.