Guns Found At Ohio Airport Checkpoints Spiked In 2021

CLEVELAND — Nearly 6,000 firearms were found in carry-on luggage at U.S. airport checkpoints in 2021, according to new information released by the Transportation Security Administration. Of those guns, nearly 90 were seized at airports in Ohio.

Nationwide, 5,972 guns were intercepted at 268 airports last year, according to TSA data. That’s a 36 percent increase over 2019, when travel volume was similar to 2021, and a staggering 45 percent increase over 2020.

Among the firearms confiscated by officials, 86 percent were loaded, CBS News reported.

"That presents a significant health, safety and security concern for us," TSA Administrator David Pekoske told CBS News.

Nearly all of Ohio's airports saw an uptick in the number of guns found in 2021. Cleveland Hopkins International saw the biggest jump, spiking from 19 in 2019 to 43 last year.

Here’s how many firearms were found at airports in Ohio in 2021:

• Cleveland Hopkins: 43 guns found
• John Glenn Columbus: 33 guns
• Akron-Canton: Four guns
• Dayton International: Four guns
• Rickenbacker International: Five guns

“While our passenger volumes have not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, we are seeing even higher numbers of firearms, most of them loaded,” Ohio TSA Federal Security Director Don Barker said. “Passengers are strictly prohibited from bringing firearms onboard planes, and our TSA officers are laser-focused on security and preventing weapons from getting through our checkpoints.”

In 2021, the TSA screened approximately 585 million passengers and crew at airports across the country. That figure represents an 81 percent increase over the approximately 324 million screened in 2020.

This means a firearm was detected for every 97,999 passengers screened.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta was at the top of this year’s list with 507 guns detected, up from 323 in 2019.

These airports had the highest numbers of guns found in 2021:

1) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: 507 guns
2) Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: 317 guns
3) Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport: 245 guns
4) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: 196 guns
5) Nashville International Airport: 163 guns
6) Denver International Airport: 141 guns
7) Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: 128 guns
8) Orlando International Airport: 124 guns
9) Louis Armstrong New Orleans International: 119 guns
10) Salt Lake City International Airport: 115 guns

Pekoske told CBS News he’s worried about the alarming record.