The TSA found a record 6,542 firearms in carry-on luggage at 262 different airports in 2022, according to the agency's annual round-up.
Let's put those numbers in perspective: Out of 761 million screenings across the country, 8.6 firearms were found for every million passengers. Put another way, the TSA found one firearm for every 116,394 passengers.
Among the firearms found, the TSA said 88 percent were loaded.
Many of these airports were located across the U.S. South. These are the top 10 worst-offenders:
Austin and Tampa are both new additions to the list. They replaced Louis Armstrong New Orleans International and Salt Lake City International.
Yet southern airports weren't the only ones to see an uptick in gun-toting passengers. New York City airports reported finding 39 handguns at checkpoints in 2022, up from 26 in 2021.
Here's what happens when the TSA stumbles upon a firearm during a security screening. Airport staff will immediately notify local law enforcement officers, who then remove the weapon from the X-ray tunnel and contact the passenger. From there, law enforcement has some discretion based on local laws, but the TSA can in some cases levy a civil penalty.
The agency said it weighs a number of factors when deciding to penalize a traveler, such as whether the firearm was loaded or if there was ammunition accessible nearby. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapons permit, it added, firearms are not permitted in carry-on luggage.
All passengers must declare their firearm during the check-in process.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced her intention to resign.
A white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday after listening to relatives of his victims express the pain and rage caused by his racist attack.
Three men who died on Lake Champlain after falling through thin layers of ice are prompting to levy warnings about winter activities. Typically around this time of year, ice is thick enough to withstand weight but warm weather has made it more difficult.
Weng Sor, a 62-year-old Las Vegas, Nev., resident, was also charged with attempted murder for his alleged attack Monday.
More details are emerging out of East Palestine, Ohio with officials discovering three additional chemicals following the Norfolk Southern train derailment and controlled burn of hazardous materials.
Cheddar News correspondent Shannon LaNier visited Dylan's Candy Bar in midtown Manhattan for a grand tour of what the legendary sweets shop has on offer for Valentine's Day. He also interviewed CEO Dylan Lauren, who served as guide through the iconic candy store.
It is still not known where the second, third, and fourth flying objects shot down by U.S. military fighter jets originated from, a White House spokesperson said Monday.
Armen Adamjan, @creative_explained on TikTok, joined Cheddar News to provide some useful tips on how to clean at home with some easy to find household items.
Authorities say a man driving a U-Haul truck struck and injured several people in New York City before police were able to pin the vehicle against a building.
Thousands left homeless by a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria a week ago packed into crowded tents or lined up in the streets for hot meals Monday,
