How many loaded guns have been found at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport so far in 2024?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — With five months left in the year, Alabama’s largest airport is already on track to intercept more firearms than it did last year.

According to a new report released Tuesday by the Transportation Security Administration, about 3,269 guns have been intercepted at airport checkpoints nationwide as of June 30, more than 94% percent of which were loaded. This represents an average of 19 guns found per day.

At Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, TSA officers have detected 38 firearms so far this year, all but two of which were loaded. In 2023, the TSA found a total of 69 firearms at the airport, an uptick from the 55 that were found in 2022.

“The number one excuse we hear is that people forget that they have their loaded guns with them,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said in a statement to CBS 42. “If you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times . That’s part of being a responsible gun owner.”

Kim Hunt, spokesperson for the Birmingham Airport Authority, said the majority of cases of guns detected at the airport tend to be accidental.

“Most of the time, people are bringing guns they are otherwise legally allowed to have,” Hunt said. “It’s possible they didn’t know the rules and regulations.”

While the TSA does not confiscate firearms itself, its officers do notify the police whenever an unauthorized gun is detected, leading to law enforcement to take possession of the gun and either arrest or cite the person responsible, depending on local law. Fines for bringing an unloaded gun to a checkpoint run $2,050, while bringing a loaded one can cost anywhere between $4,100 and $13,669.

Nevertheless, the TSA does allow passengers to travel with firearms, although with certain rules, such as unloaded guns being checked in a separate locked case, as well as declaring guns and ammunition at the ticket counter. Rules on properly checking firearms can be found on the TSA’s website here.