Saturday afternoon, Transportation Security Administration officers at Denver International Airport discovered a loaded Ruger handgun in the bag of a Florida-bound traveler during a routine X-ray screening.
The weapon was the third firearm discovered by TSA at the Denver airport this month, and one of 93 intercepted by TSA officers so far in 2023, officials stated in a Monday news release. At this time last year, DIA officers had seized 77 firearms from travelers’ carry-on luggage.
DIA is on track to set a new record for firearms intercepted by TSA officers in 2023 following a record-breaking surge in gun seizures last year, the news release stated.
Nationally, TSA officers intercepted 3,251 firearms at airport security checkpoints during the first six months of 2023, up from 3,053 at this time last year, the news release stated.
Aside from COVID-disrupted 2020, the number of weapons intercepted at airport security has climbed every year since 2010. Nationally, from 2022 to 2023, that number has increased 6%. At DIA, it’s up more than 20% so far this year.
While gun possession laws vary by state and local governments, firearms remain prohibited in carry-on bags, at TSA security checkpoints and onboard aircraft, even if the passenger has a concealed-carry permit.
Federal regulations allow firearms to be transported on a commercial airliner if they’re packed in a checked bag, with the gun unloaded and stored in a locked, hard-sided case. Travelers must also declare the firearm at the ticket counter for their airline.
When TSA officers see what they believe to be a weapon in carry-on luggage on the X-ray machine, they stop the belt so the bag stays inside the machine and the passenger can’t get to it while officers call local police.
“Anyone traveling with a firearm must follow the rules and pack it properly in checked baggage, in addition to declaring it to the airline,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in the news release. “Passengers who bring a firearm to the security checkpoint present a security risk, and there are consequences for doing so.”
Repercussions for bringing a weapon into an airport security checkpoint may vary depending on local and state laws. Travelers may be arrested and have the gun confiscated or may be allowed to give the gun to a companion not flying with them and continue on their way.
According to Monday’s news release, TSA may eliminate a passenger’s PreCheck or “Trusted Traveler” status — which expedites travelers’ security screenings — for five years, impose a federal fine of up to $14,950 or require additional screenings if they’re caught with a gun in their carry on baggage.
If federal officials can prove the person intended to bring the gun past the checkpoint into the airport’s “sterile area,” it’s a federal offense.
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