TSA seeing an increase in people bringing guns to security checkpoints

WASHINGTON — The Transporation Security Administration (TSA) is sending out a safety reminder ahead of a busy travel season. Leave your guns at home. 

The TSA says it has seen a concerning increase in people bringing guns to security checkpoints. Nationwide, there have been about 1,900 firearms confiscated at airports so far this year. That averages out to about 17 times a day. The agency says the most concerning part, is 93% of those weapons were loaded. 

Locally, TSA agents at Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport have intercepted 13 firearms so far this year. Dulles has confiscated nine guns and agents at Reagan National Airport have stopped 12 guns at security checkpoints so far this year. 

"The most common excuse we hear from people is 'I forgot I had my gun with me.' So far 90% of those guns were loaded. So we're hearing people tell us they forgot they had a loaded gun with them. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are," said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokesperson. 

BWI Thurgood Marshall set a record last year with 35 firearms caught at security checkpoints. In the first four months of this year, they are almost at half that number. 

Trying to bring a gun through a security checkpoint is a costly mistake. The entire security checkpoint is shutdown for safety reasons. Police are then called in to remove the firearm. Then, depending on the situation you could be cited or even arrested. The TSA is also able to enact a civil penalty of a maximum of $15,000.