Record number of firearms seized at airport security in U.S. in 2021; 23 guns were detected at Milwaukee Mitchell
Security screeners in the U.S. detected more guns at airport checkpoints in 2021 than any year ever, according to figures released this week by the Transportation Security Administration.
Nationwide, TSA officers stopped 5,972 firearms at airport checkpoints, surpassing the previous record of 4,432 firearms caught at checkpoints in 2019.
The figure represents a rate of 10.2 firearms per million passengers.
"The majority of those firearms (86%) were loaded," the TSA said in a statement.
At Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, TSA officers stopped 23 handguns at security checkpoints in 2021, a 44% increase from the 16 guns detected in 2019.
“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,” Mark Lendvay, Wisconsin TSA Federal Security Director, said in a statement.
“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,” Lendvay said.
More: TSA finds another gun at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport checkpoint
At Chicago O'Hare International Airport, security screeners seized 91 guns at security checkpoints during 2021. That compares with 50 in 2019. (During 2020, passenger numbers dropped dramatically because of the COVID-19 pandemic and most air travel statistics use comparisons to 2019 which was pre-pandemic.)
At Chicago Midway Airport, 42 guns were detected by screeners in 2021 compared with 33 in 2019.
Meanwhile, so far in 2022, three firearms have been detected at MKE checkpoints. MKE is the International Air Transport Association identifier for Milwaukee Mitchell.
On Tuesday morning, a passenger presented a bag for screening, and a TSA officer identified a firearm on the X-ray screen, according to the agency.
The passenger, a West Bend resident, had a concealed carry permit. TSA officers immediately alerted the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff's office handles law enforcement at the county-owned airport. A sheriff's deputy confiscated the firearm, which was loaded, and issued a citation.
In addition to being cited, if a traveler with a gun found at a checkpoint is a member of TSA PreCheck, that person will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges for a period of time.
Unloaded firearms allowed in checked baggage
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.
"Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality," according to the TSA. "Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from."
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Travelers should also contact their airline as the carriers may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
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Contact Joe Taschler at (414) 224-2554 or jtaschler@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeTaschler or Facebook at facebook.com/joe.taschler.1.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: TSA seized 23 guns at Mitchell Airport in 2021, 5,972 nationally
