Record Number Of Guns Seized At BWI Airport In 2024

BALTIMORE, MD — Federal officials seized a record number of guns at Baltimore area airports in 2024, according to a Transportation Security Administration news release.

TSA officers intercepted 117 handguns at airport security checkpoints in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region last year, an increase from the 105 guns that were detected in 2023. Each gun was discovered by TSA officers during routine screenings of carry-on bags at security checkpoints, officials said Wednesday.

Baltimore topped the list of local airports with 47 guns caught at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Officials said 41 firearms were intercepted at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and 29 guns at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Each airport set a record for the most firearms detected in a single year, officials said.

"None of us set out to set a record for the most guns caught in a year," Christopher Murgia, TSA's federal security director for Maryland, said in a statement. "We much prefer that travelers ... travel with firearms by packing them properly in their checked baggage and declaring their firearm to their airline for a flight."

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,678 firearms at airport checkpoints in 2024. In 2023, 6,737 firearms were intercepted at airport checkpoints. Of the guns caught in 2024, approximately 94 percent were loaded, officials said.

Since firearm possession laws vary by state and locality, travelers should familiarize themselves with regulations for each point of travel before departure. Airlines may also have additional requirements for traveling with guns and ammunition, so travelers should contact the airline before arriving at the airport.

Travelers who bring weapons to a checkpoint are subject to federal civil penalties of up to $15,000. The complete list of penalties is posted online.