TSA is finding Guns in passenger carry-on 3 times the usual rate under massive decline in air travel

Transportation Security Administration screener guns in hand luggage for passengers at three times the usual rate was in July this year compared to last year, the agency says. “TSA is working diligently to ensure that our employees and passengers are safe and secure while traveling in a pandemic, but we are seeing a significant increase in arms loaded checkpoints are,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a Press release August 10 screeners found 15.3 guns per million passengers in July of this year, compared to 5.1 over the same period last year. The 200% increase is “particularly alarming”, the agency says, because air travel amid the TSA pandemic are nearly evaporated in July 2020 about 75% fewer passengers than in July 2019 it controlled all (assuming that the vast majority of air travelers are screened, these projections are a good proxy for the entire air travel volume). The six airports where the largest number of weapons was found by TSA agents last month include: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (27 guns), Denver International Airport (13) Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport ( 13) Nashville International Airport (12), Dallas Love Field Airport (9) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (also 9). Air travelers in the United States are generally allowed to travel with firearms, but only if properly stored in checked baggage. People with a firearm involved in his luggage to face civil penalties start at about $2,000 for an unloaded gun and $4,000 for a charge of up to $10,250 “depending on the” circumstances, according to the TSA. There are at least two explanations for the trend. It ‘possible that for some reason, those who chose to fly now part to create the weapons are more likely to seek in your hand luggage. But it is also possible, and probably make more-that the TSA agents to find a better weapon of jobs because they simply have less pockets screen, given the drastic reduction of the total air traffic.
Photo copyright for images Scott Olson -Getty