NORFOLK, Va. — Transportation Services Administration (TSA) agents have intercepted 10 guns at Norfolk International Airport (ORF), meeting a 2017 record despite it only being April.
"The number one excuse we hear all the time is 'I forgot that it was in there,'" said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman with TSA. "That is essentially telling us that you forgot that you were carrying a fully loaded weapon."
The latest incident happened on April 19 when a Florida resident tried to bring a handgun to ORF. TSA agents found it with 13 bullets inside, and one loaded in the chamber.
It's part of a growing and alarming trend Farbstein said TSA agents are noticing in Norfolk and across the nation.
"We continue to see an increase in firearms, year after year," said Farbstein. "It's not just going up by a few either, it's going up by hundreds across the country."
In Norfolk, TSA agents set a record number of guns intercepted with 23 guns in 2021. This number has increased in every following year — with 27 guns found in 2022 and 29 guns found in 2023.
Farbstein said it does not have to be like this, as there is a perfectly legal way for people to travel with their guns.
"You have to have a gun case, a lock, and pack it in luggage that is then declared to check-in counter for your airline," said Farbstein. "The airline will then make sure it is in the belly of the plane where no one can access it."
If a person tries to pass a gun through TSA, there can be steep consequences. In addition to possible jail time, a person could pay up to a $15,000 fine. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Last year, 6,735 firearms were caught at airport security checkpoints nationwide and 93 percent of them were loaded.
Farbstein said travelers can always check with TSA online, on the app, or give them a call to make sure gun owners are following the rules while traveling.