TSA officials found 107 guns on travelers at Kentucky airports in 2024

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Officers for the Transportation Security Administration discovered more than 100 guns on travelers last year in Kentucky.

According to a news release, TSA officers detected 107 guns at Kentucky airports in travelers' carry-on luggage. It is a decrease of more than 10% from 2023.

The guns were found by TSA officers during the routine screening of carry-on property at airport security checkpoints, according to a news release. Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport led the state with 46 guns found in 2024.

TSA said 44 guns were found on travelers at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in 2024.

Nationally, TSA officers found 6,678 guns on travelers last year. TSA screened around 904 million passengers and crew at airports around the country in 2024. In Kentucky, TSA screened around 8.7 million travelers last year. That was nearly a 6.9% increase from the prior year.

According to a news release, when a TSA officer sees the image of a gun on an X-ray screen, the officer notifies the local airport law enforcement agency. The law enforcement officer removes the gun from the X-ray tunnel and communicates with the traveler. TSA said what happens to the gun and the traveler is up to the discretion of the airport law enforcement agency.

Travelers could face criminal citations or arrest, along with civil penalties for bringing guns to a security checkpoint.

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