TSA officers at MEM detect record number of firearms in 2022

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Transportation Security Administration officers at Memphis International Airport (MEM) discovered a loaded firearm at a security checkpoints yesterday, bringing the total detected at the airport to a record 68 this year.

At approximately 6 a.m. Sunday, a loaded Ruger LCP .380 caliber handgun was detected at in a passenger’s personal belongings. TSA officers notified local law enforcement, who removed the firearm and the passenger from the checkpoint area.

The previous annual record for MEM was 67 firearms, set last year.

 “Since the implementation of new gun laws in the state last year, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of firearms brought to Tennessee security checkpoints,” said Kevin McCarthy, TSA Deputy Federal Security Director for Tennessee. “While the actual number of firearms discovered at Memphis checkpoints doesn’t compare to the numbers seen at some of the larger airports in the country, on a per passenger basis, our officers detect firearms at a rate three and a half times greater than the national average.”

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.

Additional background

Here is a breakdown of TSA firearm discoveries for the past four years at Tennessee airports: