Handguns Detected At BWI, DC Airports Drops By Half: TSA

BALTIMORE, MD — Transportation Security Administration officials saw a significant drop in the number of weapons that travelers attempted to bring into the security checkpoints of Baltimore- Washington, DC-area airports in 2020, when there was a massive drop in travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, TSA officials announced on Tuesday.

Most of the 30 handguns collected by security officers were seized at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where 13 guns were detected.

In 2018, TSA officers found 22 guns in bags at BWI Airport, which increased to 27 firearms in 2019.

The 30 handguns found last year at Dulles, Reagan Washington National and BWI airports in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore was less than half the number of weapons that were collected in 2019. The total is also the lowest number of handguns that have been secured at checkpoints by TSA officers since at least 2016, officials said.

A total of 10 handguns were detected in the carry-on luggage of travelers at Reagan-Washington National Airport, while seven handguns were found on travelers at Dulles Airport.

Each of the guns that were secured were detected at checkpoints during routine pre-flight screenings at airport security checkpoints, officials said.

TSA officers detected twice as many firearms per million passengers screened at airport security checkpoints nationwide in 2020 compared to 2019, according to a news release. Throughout 2020, TSA caught about 10 firearms per million passengers screened as compared to about 5 firearms per million passengers screened in 2019.

Atlanta led the country in the number of weapons detected on travelers in 2020 with 220 handguns being detected. Nationally, 3,257 firearms were found in the carry-on luggage of passengers in 2020 although the number of passengers was reduced by 500 million because of the coronavirus pandemic, TSA officials announced.

Of the handguns found by TSA officials, 83 percent of the weapons were loaded. Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms as long as they are packed in checked luggage and if the weapons are not loaded.

Passengers who bring weapons into security checkpoints are subject to fines up to $13,669, TSA officials said. The average fine for bringing a weapon into a checkpoint is $4,100.