TSA Intercepts Dozens Of Weapons At Atlanta’s Airport
Passengers are reflected in glass as they line up to go through a security checkpoint under the atrium of the domestic passenger terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, March 10, 2016, in Atlanta. On Thursday, officials announced a $6 billion expansion and renovation project at the world’s busiest airport during the next 20 … Continued
David Goldman, File / Associated Press
An audio version of this story.
Some people are still packing heat as they head through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration reports 101 firearms were intercepted at security checkpoints at Atlanta’s airport so far this year.
That’s more than half the total of the record-setting 144 guns caught at Hartsfield-Jackson in 2015.
“The most common excuse that we get is ‘Oops, I didn’t know it was in the bag,’ or that somebody else had packed the bag for them. But really, everybody that brings a bag into the checkpoint is ultimately responsible for what they’re bringing,” said TSA regional spokesman Mark Howell.
People who take firearms to security checkpoints could face criminal charges and penalties from the TSA.
“We don’t want to infringe on anybody’s right to take a firearm with them when they travel. We just don’t want it accessible on the aircraft,” said Howell.
Weapons must be unloaded and placed in checked luggage.
9(MDAxODM0MDY4MDEyMTY4NDA3MzI3YjkzMw004))
Top Stories
