Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta has set its fair share of records, but one recently set record is nothing to brag about.
The Transportation Security Administration says that in the first nine months of 2021, security officials seized 391 firearms at the Atlanta airport. That’s not only the highest number in the airport’s history, it’s also the largest number of guns seized at any airport in the US so far in 2021. It’s also more than double the number of guns seized at Houston’s airport, which comes in number two on the list.
Gun seizures at the nation’s airports were up sharply from last year, when the coronavirus pandemic significantly slowed air travel, but federal officials note that air travel is still down from pre-pandemic levels.
In a release, the TSA says that the 391 firearms reported seized in Atlanta are only the ones found on passengers or in their carry-on bags. That number does not include toys, replicas, or firearms improperly packed in checked bags.