NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Transportation Security Administration officers at Nashville International Airport (BNA) discovered two firearms at security checkpoints Tuesday evening, bringing the total detected at the airport to 98 this year.
A loaded Ruger .380 and Glock .40 caliber were detected at in the same passenger’s personal belongings just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. TSA officers notified local law enforcement, who removed the firearms and the passenger from the checkpoint area.
The previous annual record for BNA was 97 firearms, set in 2019. A total of 94 were found at security checkpoints in Nashville last year.
“Since the implementation of new gun laws in the state, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of firearms brought to Tennessee 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.”
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.
In addition to potential criminal charges, passengers who bring firearms to a checkpoint face civil penalties from TSA: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement
For information on the proper way to travel with a firearm, visit https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition.