52 firearms found at MSP in 2024
MINNEAPOLIS — TSA agents at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport recovered 52 firearms in 2024 — a decrease from the 53 found in 2023.
Officials say on average nationwide, TSA officers stop 18 firearms a day at checkpoints. Passengers traveling through MSP brought guns below the national average, despite MSP seeing about 14.5 million people — an 8.3% increase over 2023 — at TSA checkpoints.
The rate of discovery breaks down to one firearm for every 279,790 traveler screened.
Duluth International Airport had two guns found, the same number as in 2023. Rochester International Airport had a single gun, the first in four years.
"Bringing a firearm to the checkpoint is a careless, dangerous mistake that can be easily avoided," said Minnesota TSA Federal Security Director Marty Robinson. "When individuals bring firearms to our checkpoints, they are introducing a risk to everyone in the area. These incidents also slow down the checkpoint screening process for other travelers because when a firearm is detected, all activity in the lane comes to a complete halt until police arrive."
Most airlines allow for passengers to travel with a firearm provided it is declared at the ticket counter, unloaded, and packed in a locked hard-side container as checked baggage.
Nationwide, TSA officers stopped more than 6,600 guns. Over 94% of them were loaded.
When a firearm is found at a checkpoint, TSA contacts law enforcement and the passenger receives a fine of up to $15,000.
Details on how to travel safely with a firearm can be found here.