A new analysis found that despite plenty of security restrictions and warnings at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at airports, more Americans are being caught with loaded guns in carry-on bags, The Boston Globe reported.
The agency said 1,813 passengers attempted to bring guns onto planes in 2013, up 16 percent from the previous year. That’s nearly double the number of incidents reported in 2009.
The analysis, conducted by Northwestern University, found that 84 percent of the guns detected last year were loaded.
TSA officials told the paper that most passengers caught with guns say they forget they were carrying, a claim that’s met with skepticism.
“They don’t forget to bring a toothbrush,” American Federation of Government Employees counsel David Borer told the paper. “But oh hey, they forgot they brought a gun? They’ve been on notice for this for 10 years, and it’s time to grow up and be responsible.”
• Kevin Rogers can be reached at krogers@washingtontimes.com.
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