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TSA seizes record number of guns in 2015

<p>Consider this a friendly travel tip: You should not pack your meat slicer in your carry-on. Or your Batarang, or your Chihuahua.&nbsp;</p><p>It sounds like common sense, right? Well some fliers tried it anyway. TSA screened more than&nbsp;<a href="http://blog.tsa.gov/" target="_blank">708 million passengers</a>&nbsp;and 1.6 billion carry-on bags in 2015.&nbsp;</p><p>And while your fair share of weird items were recovered yes, we&#39;re looking at you, marijuana-stuffed candy wrappers there was also an alarming number of potentially dangerous items. Take guns, for example.&nbsp;</p><p>Last year, TSA agents recovered 2,653 firearms in carry-on bags. That&#39;s an average of seven guns per day. And agents reported 83 percent of those guns were loaded when they were recovered.</p><p>As for where most of those firearms were found? The Lone Star State and the ATL. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport ranked as the top three offenders, in that order.&nbsp;</p><p>The 20 percent increase in gun seizures over last year might be related to ramped-up security checks. Last June, the acting head of the TSA was fired after the Department of Homeland Security found security failures at numerous busy airports across the country. (Video via&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/investigation-breaches-us-airports-allowed-weapons-through-n367851" target="_blank">NBC</a>)</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/releases/2016/01/21/tsa-releases-2015-statistics" target="_blank">current TSA administrator said</a>, &quot;The transport of firearms by commercial air in carry-on bags represents a threat to the safety and security of air travelers. Through increased training in detection methods, our officers are becoming more adept at intercepting these prohibited items.&quot;</p><p>So as TSA agents get better at their jobs, we get safer in the skies. That&#39;s something we can get behind. Just remember to leave that samurai sword at home.</p><p><i>This video includes images from Getty Images.</i></p>
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Federal officials say a record number of airline passengers were caught last year trying to take guns on planes, and most of the weapons were loaded.

The Transportation Security Administration says 2,653 firearms were found in carry-on bags in 2015, a 20 percent increase over the previous year, which had been a record. More than four out of five were loaded.

Airports with the most gun discoveries were Dallas-Fort Worth, 153; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, 144; Houston George Bush, 100; Denver, 90, and Phoenix, 73.

Twelve guns were seized at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport last year compared to the 7 at Akron Canton Airport. That's about double the amount seized in 2014 when six were taken at CLE and two were taken at CAK. 

TSA screened 708 million passengers nationally in 2015, 40 million more than in 2014.

Weapons of any kind are prohibited in carry-on bags. However, passengers can take guns with them when they fly if they are in checked bags, unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline.

AP Modified 2016
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