TSA reported record gun discoveries in 2016 (Photo: TSA)
Transportation Security Agency statistics released today show that 2016 was another record year for TSA gun discoveries.
Out of the 738,318,264 passengers screened at airport checkpoints throughout the country, TSA officers discovered a record 3,391 guns in carry-on luggage. Approximately 83% of the guns were loaded.
Firearms were discovered at a total of 238 airports, two more airports than last year. The top 10 airports for gun discoveries are listed below, with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport topping the list for most guns discovered.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 198
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW): 192
George Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston (IAH): 128
Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX): 101
Denver International (DEN): 98
Orlando International Airport (MCO): 86
Nashville International (BNA): 80
Tampa International (TPA): 79
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS): 78
Salt Lake City International (SLC): 75
The 2016 results showed a 28 percent increase from the 2,612 discovered in 2015, which was also a record number for gun discoveries at the time.
According to TSA regulations, travelers can only transport firearms in checked baggage. The firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard case.
The TSA firearm regulations have come under much scrutiny since gunman Esteban Santiago reportedly pulled a handgun from his checked luggage and opened fire in the baggage claim area of the Fort Lauderdale airport last week, killing five people and wounding eight others.
Updated Jan. 13, 2017
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