The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is urging travelers to be more diligent when packing their carry-on baggage, after a record 3,391 guns and thousands of other weapons were found at airport security checkpoints throughout the U.S. in 2016.
To put that number into better context, an average of nine firearms were found in carry-on baggage per day.
Of the 3,391 guns found, 83 per cent of them were loaded.
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The record number shows a 28 per cent increase in gun discoveries from 2015, when 2,653 guns were located in carry-on baggage. It’s important to remember that U.S. travelers can travel with their firearms in their checked luggage on most flights, so long as they are declared with the airline.
Canadian regulations follow similar rules; most airlines will allow travelers to pack a firearm in their checked bagged provided it is unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided container, and declared to the air carrier at check in. Firearms, or weapons of any kind, are not allowed in carry-on baggage under any circumstances.
“If you’re grabbing a bag, suitcase, briefcase, jacket or other item you haven’t used in a while, be sure to give it the once-over so you don’t accidentally take something prohibited to the checkpoint,” read a blog post, published by the TSA Thursday.
“Many people who have brought guns, ammunition, knives and other prohibited items say that they did so unknowingly.”
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had the most gun discoveries, clocking in at 198, followed by Dallas/Fort Worth International with 192 and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston with 128.
Phoenix Sky Harbor, Denver, Orlando, Nashville, Tampa, Austin-Bergstrom and Salt Lake City International airports also made the list.
But guns aren’t the only weapons travelers in the U.S. tried to bring on board.
TSA officers found thousands of credit card knives, belt buckle knives, comb/brush knives, knives hidden in shoes, knives hidden in thermoses and knives hidden under the bag lining near the handle mechanism. They also found a lot of “sword canes” – which are quite literally swords disguised as canes.
Officers also found lipstick knifes, lipstick stun guns and even a throwing star hidden in a cellphone case.
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The TSA announcement comes a week after a gunman opened fire inside Fort Lauderdale’s airport, killing five people. The accused — Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old Iraq war veteran from Alaska — checked a single piece of luggage: a gun box for his Walther 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and two magazines of ammunition, according to an FBI affidavit. Agents say he retrieved the box in baggage claim and loaded his weapon in a bathroom stall before opening fire on fellow passengers, killing five and wounding six others.
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Though the TSA’s blog post did not link any of the 2016 weapon discoveries to potential acts of violence or terrorism, the transport authority has used the opportunity to educate travelers about what they can and can’t bring on board an aircraft.
Officials asked travelers to use the TSA’s Twitter account and website to ask questions about packing their bags. Canadians traveling within the U.S. can use these tools as a point of reference. When traveling internationally or within Canada, you can consult the government of Canada’s “What to pack” search tool to look up any items you are unsure of.
— With a file from The Associated Press
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