More Guns Being Found at TSA Checkpoints

More travelers are bringing firearms in their carry-on bags to Pittsburgh International Airport’s security checkpoints, an analysis by Blue Sky shows.

Local TSA agents have detected 24 guns at PIT’s security checkpoints so far this year, and it’s likely the number will surpass the 34 firearms confiscated in 2018, according to TSA public affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.

“Obviously, you would like to see that trend go in the opposite direction, but every year, the number of firearms goes up,” she said.

The number of firearms found in carry-on bags is also increasing across the country. Last year saw a record 4,239 guns detected at security checkpoints, a 7 percent increase from 2017. Farbstein noted that 86 percent of the weapons confiscated last year were loaded.

Compared to airports of relative size, Pittsburgh International is slightly above average in terms of the number of detections in 2019. TSA agents have found 17 firearms so far this year at Cleveland Hopkins International and 19 at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International.

“The most common excuse we hear is, ‘I forgot that I had my gun,’” Farbstein said. “When you go back to the point that 86 percent of (the firearms) are loaded, people are saying, ‘I forgot I had my loaded gun with me’ – which is shocking.”

Another explanation often heard by TSA agents is that the traveler had a spouse pack his or her bag.

“Neither of those excuses fly,” she added.

While it is legal to lawfully carry a firearm inside airports in Pennsylvania, any travele