TSA reminds travelers how to properly pack bags after increase of guns found

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - As people are getting back to traveling around the holiday season, the TSA wants to remind everyone to pack their bags properly. Across the country, they are seeing more guns confiscated at airports because they are not packed correctly.  

It's simple: don't go to the TSA checkpoint with a gun still in your carry-on bag. The TSA said they are on pace to set a record for confiscated guns at airports nationwide.  

Traveling can be stressful, but to make it a little easier, make sure your bag is packed correctly. Not knowing where you packed your gun can become a problem. 

So far this year at Pittsburgh International Airport, 24 guns have been confiscated at the TSA checkpoint. The most common excuse: people didn't know they had it on them.  

"Which is unbelievable," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. "Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times."

This number is down from 32 last year. There have been more than 30 guns confiscated every year since 2017 except 2020. It was down to 21. Across the country, the number is on the rise. Last year it was almost 6,000. This year is expected to set a record.  

"This year we expect to exceed 6,000, setting a new record for our 21-year history. That's certainly not the record we are looking for," Farbstein said.  

How do you bring a gun? Make sure it is unloaded. Then, put it in a hard case. Any ammo should be in the original container and put in the hard case. Then lock the case and take it to the airlines to declare it.  

"TSA is happy to make sure you can take your gun for a flight. That's okay. The whole tip is making sure you do it the right way," Farbstein said at the Pittsburgh International Airport.  

If you take it to the security checkpoint instead, you could be fined thousands of dollars and face jail time. You hold up the line for everyone else.  

"You are the guy who has earned the stink eye from all the other passengers," Farbstein said.  

The U.S. district attorney's office has asked local sheriffs to rescind gun permits for people caught at the airport.  

If you have any questions about packing for a trip, you can find tips from the TSA online.