117 Guns Seized At Baltimore, DC Airports In 2024: TSA

LINTHICUM, MD — Transportation Security Administration agents seized 6,678 firearms, including over 100 in the Baltimore-Washington area, at airports around the country in 2024, the agency said in a recent news release.

The TSA said 94 percent of the firearms seizures at U.S. airports were loaded weapons. Overall, seizures were down last year, although only marginally with a difference of only about 60 guns between 2024 and 2023.

TSA agents screened 903 million passengers in 2024, compared with 858 million the year prior. The rate of firearms seizures per 1 million travelers was 7.4 in 2024, compared with 7.8 in 2023.

TSA officers intercepted 117 handguns at airport security checkpoints in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region last year. That was 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.

Baltimore topped the local list 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 were seized 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."

Airports reporting the most gun seizures were Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta (440); Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (390); and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (272).

Most travelers with guns don't plan to harm anybody. Instead, the lion's share isn't familiar with the laws for flying with a firearm.

Many passengers caught with a gun say they didn't know they couldn't bring it in a carry-on. Others say they forgot it was in their luggage.

Regardless of anybody's intent, TSA is tasked with stopping improperly secured guns to ensure safe travel.

Firearms are never allowed in carry-on bags, regardless of whether a passenger has a concealed weapon permit issued under local or state laws, which vary greatly across the United States.

Passengers may travel with unloaded firearms, but only if they are in a locked, hard-sided container in checked baggage, according to TSA rules. They also must declare the firearm and ammunition when checking the bag.

Other restrictions apply, and the TSA reminds gun owners the container the firearm was purchased in may not adequately secure the gun in checked baggage.

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.

Patch journalist Megan VerHelst contributed reporting to this story.

Related: Record Number Of Guns Seized At BWI Airport In 2024