SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) — Salt Lake City Police are asking travelers to check carry-on bags before coming to the airport after several guns were found at the security checkpoint.
In April, Transportation Security Agency officers found four guns in travelers’ bags on a single morning, KUTV reported.
Salt Lake City International Airport officials found 71 guns inside bags in 2020, putting it in the top 10 airports in the country for guns found at a TSA checkpoint.
TSA Executive Assistant Administrator Darby LaJoye told Congress last week that the agency is dealing with a serious increase in guns inside bags.
“The last week of April, we had 120 firearms we stopped at our checkpoints from getting on board our aircraft. Eighty percent of them are loaded, they are often just thrown in a bag,” LaJoye said.
Even if a traveler brings a gun by mistake, the fines can run several thousand dollars.
