Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers discovered 211 firearms at security checkpoints at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) this year as of Nov. 16, setting a new record for the most guns found at an airport in a single year.
ATL TSA officers have discovered the most firearms of any airport five of the last seven years. ATL also set a new record in 2016 after finding 198 firearms at security checkpoints.
TSA officers at checkpoints nationwide have found a total of 3,733 guns this year as of Nov. 13. In 2016, officers found a total of 3,391 firearms at U.S. airport checkpoints, up from 2,653 in 2015.
Passengers may carry firearms in checked baggage, provided they declare them to the airline and store them unloaded in a proper carrying case. They are prohibited in carry-on bags. Passengers who bring firearms to a checkpoint may face criminal charges and civil penalties.
“Passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to the checkpoint and TSA’s advice is to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items,” TSA said in a press release.