No doubt gun culture in the United States of America is out of control and things were only made worse after the pandemic. If you need proof, just look at the numbers provided by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration). According to their 2023 numbers, TSA “intercepted a total of 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints. Approximately 93% of these firearms were loaded. This total surpasses the previous year’s record of 6,542 firearms stopped at checkpoints and represents the highest one-year total in TSA’s history.”
According to WISH-TV (I-Team 8), a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, “U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz has been charged with a weapons violation at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.”
A spokesperson for the TSA told I-Team 8, “On Friday, June 28, TSA officers at IAD (the three-letter code for Dulles) detected a .380 caliber firearm during passenger security screening. The firearm was unloaded and in the individual’s carry-on bag.”
Rep. Spartz’s office issued a statement today confirming the incident: “Last Friday, Rep. Spartz accidentally carried an empty handgun in her suitcase with no magazine or bullets, which she did not realize was in the pocket of her suitcase, while going through security at Dulles airport. Rep. Spartz was issued a citation and proceeded on her international flight to the OSCE PA meeting in Europe.”
Representative Spartz should feel fortunate that the TSA caught the gun because if it was discovered in Europe, she most likely would have been in a lot more trouble. Recently, five Americans, all on separate trips to Turks and Caicos, were busted by the island’s security for having bullets in their bags that the TSA missed. The remaining Americans are still facing 12 years in prison but fortunately, the first three who have faced the courts received only hefty fines and close to 100 days in jail.
Just 27 miles away from Dulles, TSA officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) “caught two firearms at security checkpoints on Friday, June 28—one in the early morning and a second one later in the evening.” This is according to a press release that came out today.
In the press release was a graph that was quite disturbing. In 2019, there were 14 guns caught at the DCA checkpoints. In 2023, that number jumped to 39. And as of June 30, 2024, they’ve already caught 24 so sadly, we’re on pace to smash the record.
What happens to guns and weapons found in carry-on bags left behind you ask? According to the TSA website: “All weapons detected in carry-on bags are turned over to local law enforcement authorities.” They also state, “Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and the traveler faces a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.”
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What do you think should be done to improve airport security and prevent people from bringing firearms on flights ? Are there additional steps the TSA or airline can take ?