Gun captures at Baltimore-Washington airports increased by 18% in 2023
By Greg Ng
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LINTHICUM, Maryland (WBAL) — Transportation Security Administration officers stopped 20% more guns in 2023 at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport over the previous year.
TSA released a statement Wednesday, saying officers stopped 105 handguns at airport security checkpoints in the Baltimore-Washington region last year, which is 16 more than the 89 guns caught in 2022.
TSA said its officers discovered each of the firearms during routine screening of carry-on property at airport security checkpoints.
BWI-Marshall topped the list of local airports with 42 handguns caught in 2023, while there were 39 caught at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and 24 at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Guns caught at BWI-Marshall checkpoints 2016: 21 2017: 26 2018: 22 2019: 27 2020: 13 2021: 23 2022: 35 2023: 42
Top 10 airports where TSA caught guns in 2023
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2023, which is a significant increase from the 6,542 detected in 2022.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 451 Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 378 Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 311 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): 235 Nashville International Airport (BNA): 188 Denver International Airport (DEN): 178 Orlando International Airport (MCO): 164 Tampa International Airport (TPA): 144 Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): 135 Dallas Love Field (DAL): 125
Of the guns caught in 2023, about 93% were loaded. Firearms were caught at 265 airport checkpoints nationwide.
Firearms caught nationwide by TSA at checkpoints from 2008 to 2023:
2008: 926 2009: 976 2010: 1,123 2011: 1,320 2012: 1,556 2013: 1,813 2014: 2,212 2015: 2,653 2016: 3,391 2017: 3,957 2018: 4,239 2019: 4,432 2020: 3,257 2021: 5,972 2022: 6,542 2023: 6,737
TSA: Know the rules when it comes to packing firearms
The TSA urges passengers to know the rules when it comes to transporting firearms. Only unloaded firearms that are packed in a hard-sided, locked case can be transported in checked luggage.
The TSA reminds travelers that bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries federal civil penalties that can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. Police then determine whether a traveler will be arrested or issued a criminal citation.
The rules apply to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto a plane.
This also applies to travelers who are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.
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