TSA officers discover four loaded firearms at BNA checkpoints in the last week

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Transportation Security Administration officers at Nashville International Airport (BNA) discovered four loaded firearms at security checkpoints in the last seven days. 

Below are the details for the firearms detected in carry-on bags at BNA checkpoints between March 31 and April 6:

Date                   Time                 Description     

3/31/2021        4:30 p.m.         loaded Glock 9mm

4/1/2021          5:45 a.m.         loaded Kel-Tec .380

4/2/2021          9:30 a.m.         loaded Glock 9mm

4/6/2021          7 a.m.              loaded Ruger .22 LR

While firearms may be transported in checked baggage (provided they are declared to the airline, in a proper carrying case and unloaded), they are prohibited in carry-on bags.

Security is the first concern of the TSA, and having these items in bags that are traveling with you on the aircraft is dangerous to other travelers and can be easily mistaken as an intentional attempt to bring a prohibited item onto an aircraft. 

“Even with lower than normal passenger throughput, we continue to find a high rate of guns at security checkpoints,” said Steve Wood, TSA Federal Security Director for Tennessee. “Passengers must remember they’re responsible for the contents of bags and our advice is they thoroughly inspect all personal belongings to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items before coming to the airport.”

TSA officers at BNA security checkpoints have detected 21 firearms so far in 2021 this year.  A total of 94 were found there in 2020.

In addition to potential criminal charges, passengers who bring firearms to a checkpoint face civil penalties from TSA: /travel/civil-enforcement

For information on the proper way to travel with a firearm, visit /travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition.

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