Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Nashville International Airport discovered 25 firearms at security checkpoints in July 2021, the highest monthly total on record for the airport.
“Since the implementation of new gun laws in the state, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of firearms brought to Tennessee security checkpoints,” said Steve Wood, TSA Federal Security Director for Tennessee. “Passengers must remember they’re responsible for the contents of bags and our advice is they thoroughly inspect all personal belongings to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items before coming to the airport.”
TSA officers at Nashville International’s security checkpoints detected 85 firearms in the first seven months of 2021. A total of 94 were found there during all of calendar year 2020.
Meanwhile, TSA officers at O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport discovered 11 firearms at security checkpoints in July 2021. In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic which had a significant impact on traveler numbers, TSA at O’Hare and Midway airports detected an average of seven guns per month.
