More guns detected at NYC area airport checkpoints in 2023
More firearms were discovered at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at New York City metro airports last year. According to the TSA, officials intercepted a total of 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints around the country, preventing them from getting onboard aircraft. Even more alarming is that approximately 93% of these firearms were loaded. This total surpasses 2022’s record of 6,542 firearms stopped at checkpoints, representing the highest one-year total in TSA’s history.
TSA officials stopped 51 handguns at New York City area airport checkpoints in 2023, a notable increase from the 39 guns flagged in 2022. These included 20 at Newark Liberty International Airport, 15 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and 9 at LaGuardia Airport. Each of the firearms was discovered during the routine screening of carry-on bags at airport security checkpoints.
Additionally, TSA officers stopped 103 handguns at Pennsylvania airport security checkpoints in 2023, a notable spike from 82 guns detected in 2022. This included 45 guns discovered at Philadelphia International Airport. By comparison, Atlanta International Airport had the most gun seizures in 2023, with TSA detecting 451 firearms.
Travelers should keep in mind that firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited in carry-on bags, said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. 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 luggage.
When a firearm is detected at the security checkpoint, law enforcement is immediately contacted and the passenger and firearm are both removed from the checkpoint area. Depending on local laws, the officer may arrest the passenger. TSA does not confiscate firearms.
In 2023, TSA screened more than 858 million individuals, which indicates the agency intercepted 7.8 firearms per million passengers, a drop from 8.6 per million passengers in 2022.
For more information on how to properly travel with a firearm, visit www.TSA.gov.
