Passengers caught trying to carry handguns past security at O’Hare and Panama City airports on Dec. 21 pushed the total number of gun confiscations by Transportation Security Administration screeners past 1,500 for the year, data compiled by Medill National Security Zone shows.
Through Dec. 31, 1,525 guns had been found. (View interactive graphics of weekly totals and individual incidents by date and airport).
The pace of confiscations nationwide was up in the second half of the year compared to the first — 832 confiscations since July 1 vs. 693 from Jan. 1 to June 30.
The total this year is an increase of 16% over 2011 and 36% over 2010.
National Security Zone, part of the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, compiles its own running database based on a weekly list of confiscations posted on the TSA Blog on Fridays. Data for the final few days of the year were obtained by National Security Zone on Thursday.
Of the guns confiscated, 85 percent were loaded — and 26 percent were loaded AND had a bullet in the firing chamber. The most popular types of guns: .380 caliber; 9mm; and .38 caliber. Those three made up just over half of all those seized.
Airports with the most confiscations: Atlanta (97); Dallas/Fort Worth (80); Phoenix (53); Houston Bush (51) and Fort Lauderdale (42). Those top 5 airports accounted for 25% of all guns.
The first guns of 2013 were found on Wednesday at Fort Lauderdale and Laredo TX airports — both loaded .380-calibers, the TSA reported on Friday, 1/4.
A full list of the Top 15 airports is at the bottom of this story; a list of all airports can be found here; and a sortable list of each incident by day and by airport is available here.
It is illegal to carry a handgun aboard a commercial airliner; guns must be part of checked baggage and meet certain guidelines. The TSA notifies local authorities when a gun is found at security checkpoints; the local authorities determine if an arrest is made, a ticket issued, or what other action is taken.
Monthly Summaries
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TOP AIRPORTS FOR 2012
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SOURCE: Medill National Security Zone analysis of data it compiled and aggregated from the Transportation Security Administration.
