A record number of passengers brought firearms into the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints across the state of Mississippi last year.
TSA officers intercepted 50 firearms across Mississippi in 2023, the highest number in state history. While the majority were intercepted at Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN), seven passengers brought firearms to the checkpoint at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT). Over the years since 2013, TSA officers have stopped 278 firearms at security checkpoints across the state. Of that number 67 were stopped at GPT and 175 were stopped at JAN. Most were loaded and many had ammunition chambered. The number of firearms intercepted at Mississippi airports in 2023 was 35 at Jackson, seven at Gulfport-Biloxi, five at Golden Triangle Regional, two at Tupelo Regional and one at Mid Delta Regional.
If you are going to travel with your firearm it must be in your checked bag, unloaded and in a locked hard-sided case. You must declare it to the airline at check-in. Be sure you know exactly what the firearm laws are on each side of your trip or you may be heading to jail instead of to your vacation or business trip. Firearms may not be legal to transport even in checked baggage in some jurisdictions.
“Every traveler is responsible for knowing where their firearm is before entering TSA’s federal security checkpoint and that must not be on their person or in their carry-on,” said Kim Jackson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the state of Mississippi. “This is both a security and a safety concern. With so many of the firearms loaded, an accidental discharge could have tragic results.”
TSA officers have stopped one firearm at GPT and four firearms at JAN already this year. The latest locally was on January 5th when a 40-year-old man brought a 9mm Glock to the GPT checkpoint.