96 guns stopped at Detroit Metro Airport in 2023, TSA reports
(CBS DETROIT) - Transportation Security Agents (TSA) agents stopped 96 guns at Detroit Metro Airport security checkpoints last year.
This slightly decreased from the 100 guns stopped at checkpoints in 2022.
Nationwide, TSA agents stopped 6,737 guns from getting through security and onboard planes. This was the highest total for a single year in the history of TSA. In 2022, there were 6,542 guns seized nationwide.
In addition, about 93% of the guns were loaded.
"Bringing a firearm to the checkpoint presents an unnecessary risk to both passengers and airport employees," Michigan TSA Federal Security Director Reggie Stephens said. "We urge passengers to start with an empty bag so you know with certainty that there is nothing prohibited inside."
A person who does not follow the guidelines for adequately packing a firearm in a checked bag could face a civil penalty.
TSA says people traveling through the Detroit Metro Airport brought guns to the airport at rates close to the national average, which was explained as being one firearm for every 134,732 person that goes through a TSA checkpoint.
Firearms stopped at Michigan airport checkpoints from 2019 to 2023, according to TSA data
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
Detroit Metro International Airport (DTW) | 96 | 100 | 94 | 44 | 47 |
Flint Bishop Airport (FNT) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) | 19 | 12 | 22 | 12 | 10 |
Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
Delta County Airport (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What happens when a gun is detected at the airport?
When TSA agents come across someone with a gun at a checkpoint, they contact local enforcement authorities. The law enforcement officers then remove the gun and the passenger from the area.
From there, the passenger is arrested or cited based on the local laws.
TSA agents do not seize firearms.
In addition, TSA fines a passenger who is stopped with a gun with a civil penalty of up to $15,000. That person's TSA PreCheck is also revoked for at least five years.
"Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter," said TSA. "Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from."
TSA's website has more information about the requirements regarding how to fly with a firearm.