RICHMOND, Va. -- A record number of guns were discovered and confiscated by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at Richmond International Airport in 2022, according to a TSA spokesperson.
Twenty-two of the 24 guns discovered last year at the airport were loaded. Nationwide, the TSA discovered 6,542 guns across 262 airport security checkpoints. Eighty-eight percent of those guns were loaded.
"The most common excuse we hear is, 'I forgot I had my gun with me,'" TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. "If you're a responsible gun owner, you should know what your gun is, at all times."
Farbstein said they're also often told excuses like, "my husband or wife packed my bag."
"None of those excuses fly with us," she said.
When agents find a gun at a TSA checkpoint, the screening lane is shut down and the gun owner is stopped and asked questions.
The gun's owner is likely summoned to appear in court where they face up to $15,000 in fines.
Gun owners are allowed to check unloaded and properly-secured guns onto planes. The guns must be declared with the airline upon check-in.
TSA agents have discovered two guns at Richmond International Airports so far this year.
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