NC airports see spike in number of guns at security checkpoints

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Airports across the state saw double -- even triple -- the number of guns brought to security checkpoints last year compared to years past.

The startling new numbers were revealed in a report from the TSA.

The agency said Raleigh-Durham International Airport is one of the airports reporting a spike.

Last year alone, TSA officers discovered 100 guns at RDU, 67 more than in 2020. That's likely because of the decrease in travel during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in 2019, the number was 70, a better indicator of the increase. In 2018, the number was about the same at 66.

Across North Carolina airports, 254 firearms were found last year, an increase from the previous three years. In 2020, 105 were found and in 2019, the number was 194, slightly higher than 2018 at 180.

The airport with the most guns found in 2021 was Charlotte-Douglas International, with 106.

In addition to potential criminal citations, travelers can face civil penalties up to nearly $14,000 for bringing firearms to security checkpoints.

The TSA said it evaluates each firearm on a case-by-case basis.

You can learn more about traveling with a firearm here.