TSA sees increase of guns found in carry ons at KY airports after record-tying year
Transportation Security Administration agents are seeing an increase in guns found in carry-on luggage at Kentucky airports through the first half of 2024, the federal agency reported.
TSA agents found 62 guns in carry-on luggage in Kentucky, a 26% increase from the first half of last year. By comparison, there has been a 1% increase in the number of guns found in carry-on luggage nationwide, TSA said.
The airport reporting the highest amount of guns located in carry-on bags was Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport with 27, followed by Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport with 25, according to TSA. Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport was next on the list with nine guns found in carry-on bags, followed by Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah with one.
Nearly 4.27 million passengers have traveled through Kentucky’s airports this year — a 10.8% increase over the 2023 midyear total, TSA said. There was one firearm discovered for every 68,857 passengers screened, a rate that is almost twice the national average.
In 2023, there was a record-tying amount of guns found in carry-on luggage at Kentucky airports at 119 guns. There also were 119 guns found in carry-on luggage in 2021.
What happens when a gun is found in carry-on luggage?
Firearms can only be transported on a commercial aircraft if they are unloaded and packed in a locked, hard-sided case in checked baggage, TSA said. Any type of replica firearm is prohibited in carry-ons.
The local airport law enforcement agency is immediately contacted when TSA detects a gun at a security checkpoint. What happens to the firearm and the firearm’s owner is up to the discretion of the airport law enforcement agency.
A law enforcement officer is in charge of removing the firearm from the X-ray tunnel and making initial contact with the traveler, according to TSA.
The traveler could face criminal citations or arrest, according to TSA. They could also face civil penalties up to nearly $15,000 per violation.
Whether the firearm was loaded and whether there was accessible ammunition is considered when determining the penalty, according to TSA.
Eligibility for TSA PreCheck is also revoked for a maximum of five years for people who bring a gun to a TSA-security checkpoint. TSA said people would be subject to enhanced screening during future trips.
This story was originally published July 12, 2024 at 3:01 PM.
