(NBC) – Even though the number of people flying has plummeted 75%, the Transportation Security Administration is finding more guns.
The TSA released new stats Monday on the rate of guns per passenger and they said it was three times higher this July than the same time last year.
Last July, they were looking at about 5.1 guns per million people going through security. But this year, it jumped to 15.3 guns per million people.
We’re talking about carry-on baggage and the t-s-a says most of them were loaded. For example, in Atlanta—the busiest airport in the world—they found about one gun a day last month.
This jump in passengers carrying guns through security isn’t new. There was a 5% increase from 2018 to 2019.
In case you’re wondering, the “right” way to travel with a gun starts with putting it in a hard-sided container in your checked luggage. Then you’ll want to make sure you tell airline officials there’s a gun in your bag when you check it.
There might be some variations depending on the airline and where you live, so check before you head to the airport. Otherwise, you risk a big fine, about $2,000 for an unloaded gun and more than $4,000 if it’s loaded.
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