We’ve seen a rise in the last few years in the number of guns found in carry on bags going through security at Newark Airport.
Last year 20 guns were seized, up from 14 in 2022.
TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez said that’s nothing compared to other parts of the US.
“When you compare Newark’s 20 to a place like Phoenix, where they had 189, or Atlanta or Dallas-Fort Worth, where they have 300 or 400 firearms, Newark doesn’t seem to be a problem, but we are seeing an increase,” he said.
Velez said 70% of the guns seized at Newark last year were loaded. He urged people, who often says they were simply unaware the gun was in the bag, not to try this.
“Whether you bring it through accidentally or on purpose, you can get arrested depending on the state laws, you’re going to be fined, you can lose your TSA pre-check privileges, so the excuse really doesn’t matter,” he said.
“From time to time we do find what we call ‘artfully concealed,’ where they do try to hide it a specific way. It doesn’t matter. Our X-rays can pretty much look through anything,” said Velez.
He says most of the time the guns are just openly lying in the bag, and adds that while the rise is cause for concern, in other cities where far more guns are found, far fewer travelers are going through those airports.