Record number of guns caught by TSA at Columbus airport in 2023

Eric Halperin
·2 min read
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — For the consecutive year, a record number of guns have been caught by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at checkpoints at John Glenn International Airport.

40 were found at checkpoints in 2022, and so far this year 53 have been stopped, according to the TSA.

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“Regardless of how many passengers are coming through, we don’t want to see those firearms. It’s a really easy mistake not to make. It’s really something that passengers can take a responsibility for and not bring a gun to the checkpoint,” said Jessica Mayle, a TSA regional spokesperson.

The problem is not unique to Columbus. Mayle said more than 6,000 guns have been stopped by TSA officers across the country this year. The national annual record is also on track to be broken, according to Mayle.

“Most people say oh I just forgot I had it, we really want to get people in that mindset of thinking before they come to the airport of what’s in my bag,” she said.

One of her biggest pieces of advice is when packing, start with a completely empty bag. When TSA officers detect a gun, police are called and that lane is stopped, leading to delays for other travelers.

“We’re looking at the holiday season, we know we’re going to have a lot of passengers coming through, we don’t want to introduce any unnecessary delays, we don’t want to slow people down and these prohibited items, they slow everyone down,” Mayle said.

There are punishments for taking a gun to a TSA checkpoint. One could be fined close to $15,000 by the TSA in addition to possible local charges. Mayle said most recently, a gun was caught at a TSA checkpoint at John Glenn International Airport on December 19th. She said the fact this continues to be an issue is frustrating and disappointing.

“I want everyone to kind of think back, the original purpose of TSA and the mission is to keep everyone safe,” she said. “When we are finding this number of firearms, vastly the majority of them loaded coming to the checkpoint, we just have concern for passenger safety.”

Those flying can travel with their guns. They must be in checked baggage and there are specific directions to follow.

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