Gun found at Atlanta airport security check-in earlier this month. SOURCE: Transportation Security Administration.

That translated to 5.6 guns per day, on average, with 84% of them loaded and nearly a third (29%) with ammunition in the chamber, ready to fire.

Once again, airports in the South and West — which tend to have most lenient concealed carry regulations — dominated the list of airports with the most guns found at security checkpoints. Dallas, Atlanta and Phoenix topped the list, followed by Tampa and Houston (Bush). Those 14 airports with the Top 10 number of guns found make up nearly 40% of all guns.

Data is based on an analysis of statistics compiled by the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative from weekly blog posts by the TSA. NSJI scans images of the tables that TSA posts and extracts data from them, then adds them to a master spreadsheet, which is makes available to the public to download. Data is available via NSJI’s site for 2012, 2013 and the first half of 2014.

SOURCE: Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, based on TSA reports

SOURCE: Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, based on TSA reports

Thanks to NSJI’s Tiffany Roberts for ongoing data entry support.

Visit National Security Zone’s popular TSA Gun Confiscations databases and archives.

Like a number of other local stories prompted by the data, the station found that almost everyone who is caught either pleads to a misdemeanor or wound up with their cases dropped. And “I forgot” continues to be a popular excuse for having a concealed weapon at check-in to begin with.

The number of handguns confiscated at the nation’s airport security checkpoints was up 21% through May 1 compared to a year ago — and 45% compared to 2012, a National Security Zone analysis of Transportation Security Administration data it maintains shows.

Also trending up in the first part of the year: The percentage of guns that were loaded and that had a bullet in the chamber when they were discovered in carry-ons or on the passenger. Some 85% of guns were loaded compared to 82% a year ago, and 30% had a bullet in the chamber, up from 25% in the first part of 2013.

For full story, see Medill National Security Zone.

Top airports, Jan. 1 to May 1 2014 vs. 2013

SOURCE: National Security Zone analysis of data compiled from the TSA.

With the wind-down in Afghanistan well under way, the gap between casualties and suicides grew even more dramatically, now nearly 4-1 vs. just under 2-1 the year before. (See chart below).

The data was part of the extensive annual “Suicide Event Report” that is put together by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology. The latest report covered calendar year 2012, while a news release about the report include top-level data for 2013. (Access a PDF of that report and earlier years back to 2008 here).

The U.S. Army halted what had been monthly updates of its suicide data after November data was posted in December. Reports suggest the Army is changing its methodology and will move to a quarterly instead of monthly release.

The Marines and Navy have, and continue to, release data each month, often updating the earlier month’s data. In 2013, Navy and Marine suicides fell, while attempted suicides by Marines jumped, based on the monthly data release.

For the Army in 2013, total suicides were on the decline but the percentage that were reservists had increased as a percentage of all suicides, from 40% to 50%. That data does not include December statistics, which have yet to be released.

The vast majority of guns — 84% — were loaded when Transportation Security Administration agents discovered them during security screenings, and of those loaded, one in three had a bullet in the chamber, ready to fire.

The increase over 2012 is the third annual jump since 2010 — and the largest.

Data used in this story was gathered and analyzed by Medill National Security Journalism Initiative from weekly data releases the TSA makes on its blog. A TSA official said Friday that final figures will be released shortly. Final numbers tend to be slightly higher than those compiled by Medill because the weekly blog post data is not updated after it is posted.

→ Read the full story

Below is a heat map that illuminates location of airports where the most guns were found. Intensity in this heat map runs from lowest (light green) to highest (dark red) based on the number of guns confiscated.

Las Vegas at No. 2 is something of a surprise; you’d think travelers would be more attentive in keeping their last few coins to use in the hundreds of slot machines at the gates. The leanest haul? Guam’s airport, with a total of $1.70.

The chart below shows the amount of change collected by city, sorted from the most to the least. Click the arrow or numbers at bottom to see the next 10 airports. You can also sort by clicking on the field names.

Data was extracted from a TSA report originally posted by the Wall Street Journal.

We’ve posted the the full spreadsheet here for you to download.

(UPDATE; While it doesn’t cite the New York Times story directly, a TSA blog item posted mid-day today seems to refute the story’s premise that the amount of data being examined has expanded.)

The database searches extend beyond the standard “Secure Flight” data screens that compare date of birth, name and gender against watch lists, and beyond passengers entering the country, the Times aid.

“It is unclear precisely what information the agency is relying upon to make these risk assessments, given the extensive range of records it can access, including tax identification number, past travel itineraries, property records, physical characteristics, and law enforcement or intelligence information,” the Times said.

One official from a privacy group called the data screening “a pre-crime assessment every time you fly.” Edward Hasbrouck, a consultant to the Identity Project added: “The default will be the highest, most intrusive level of search, and anything less will be conditioned on providing some additional information in some fashion.”