AUSTIN (KXAN) — Officers with the Transportation Security Administration at the Austin airport found a gun at a security checkpoint Wednesday. The agency said it’s the 96th gun found so far in 2022 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
The TSA reminded travelers having a gun in your carry-on luggage could lead to fines, delays, missed flights and even arrests. The agency said to empty your carry-on before packing, so you don’t mistakenly forget a gun in your bag.
In 2021, the TSA said 110 guns were confiscated at AUS security checkpoints. That number increased from 93 in 2018, before the pandemic caused those numbers and the number of travelers to drop in 2019 and 2020.
The TSA said the majority of guns were loaded when they were found in 2021.
According to nationwide data from the TSA, the airport with the most guns caught by TSA officials in 2021 was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with 507 guns.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was second on the list with 317 guns caught last year, and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport was third with 245 guns.