The Transportation Security Administration said it has stopped more than 3,400 guns at airport security checkpoints so far this year, and most of the firearms were loaded.
The agency also said it screened more passengers this summer, including a record-breaking three million passengers this past Sunday.
A total of 3,269 firearms were intercepted at security checkpoints during the first half of 2024, which ended on June 30, the TSA said, adding that 94% of those weapons were loaded.
The number of firearms stopped during this period was similar to the total at this time last year – which was 3,251 – but the number of passengers this year has increased.
Officers screened nearly 7% more passengers during the first half of 2024 than during the same time span last year, the TSA said. During the second quarter of 2024, more than 236 million passengers were screened, outpacing the more than 221 million passengers screened in the second quarter of last year.
So far in 2024, TSA officers have detected an average of 19 firearms per day.