‘Oops I forgot it was in my bag.’ Excuses pile up as 2 NC airports see record gun seizures
Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Asheville Regional Airport saw a record number of firearms seized at security checkpoints last year, while overall statewide numbers declined, federal officials said Thursday.
Agents confiscated 117 firearms at CLT in 2022, compared with 106 the previous year, according to figures released by the Transportation Security Administration. That’s a 10% increase.
Charlotte’s airport is an American Airlines hub and one of the busiest airports in the world.
The number of firearms seized at Asheville’s airport rose from 15 in 2021 to 25 last year, while dropping from 100 to 75 last year at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, according to the TSA.
Near Charlotte, agents seized three firearms at Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, down from four in 2021, agency officials said.
Fifteen firearms were confiscated at Piedmont-Triad International Airport, up from 12 in 2021, the TSA reported.
Statewide, the TSA found a total of 250 firearms in carry-ons in 2022, down slightly from 254 the previous year, according to an agency news release.
No. 1 excuse for guns at airports
About 85% to 90% of firearms are loaded when found at TSA checkpoints across the Carolinas and all other states, agency spokesman Mark Howell told The Charlotte Observer on Thursday.
The No. 1 excuse that passengers give to TSA agents for having a firearm in their carry-ons? “‘Oops, I forgot it was in my bag,’” Howell said.
That’s the case “99% of the time,” he said. “Very rarely do we have someone who intentionally brings it.”
Firearms are never permitted in carry-ons.
‘No rhyme or reason’ to number of guns at airports
Howell said it’s impossible to explain why firearm seizure numbers jump or fall one year to the next. “There’s no rhyme or reason to it,” he said.
Last year, TSA screened about 19.79 million departing travelers at North Carolina airports, a more than 27% rise over 2021, the agency reported Thursday. Travel has continued to rebound since the COVID pandemic began.
Higher seizure rate for guns in NC
Still, the rate of firearms seized at NC airports was higher than the national rate, the TSA found.
Nationally, a firearm was found for every 116,394 people screened, while the North Carolina rate was 1 per 79,167 passengers.
State-by-state gun laws may explain the difference, as some states are more restrictive than others in their open-carry and concealed-carry laws, according to Howell.
Madison Cawthorn’s loaded gun
Perhaps the highest-profile passenger caught with a firearm last year in North Carolina was then-U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-NC.
He had a loaded gun in April and was cited for possession of a dangerous weapon on city property after TSA agents found the gun in a bag. Agents notified CMPD officers who are assigned to the airport, CMPD said on Twitter at the time.
Cawthorn violated a city ordinance by having the gun in the airport, according to police.
Police said they released Cawthorn and confiscated the gun. CMPD called it standard procedure for airport officers to cite and not arrest a passenger for the misdemeanor charge “unless there are other associated felony charges or extenuating circumstances.”
Cawthorn’s appearance before a judge was scheduled for Jan. 13 but was continued until May 5 because the charging officer is away on leave, Charlotte Observer news partner WSOC reported.
Hefty fines for firearms at checkpoints
A firearm found in a carry-on at a TSA checkpoint is typically kept in the machine that spotted it until a TSA supervisor and then local police arrive, Howell said.
The mistake can be costly.
The civil penalty for firearms found at TSA checkpoints near $15,000 per violation.
First-time offenders typically face $2,000 to $3,000 in penalties for an unloaded firearm and $3,000 to $4,000 for a loaded gun, according to Howell.
9mm personal handguns are the most common firearm seized at airports, he said.
The TSA explains on its website, TSA.gov, how to legally store firearms in your luggage and what you should do when you arrive at the airport.
This story was originally published January 19, 2023 at 2:30 PM with the headline "‘Oops I forgot it was in my bag.’ Excuses pile up as 2 NC airports see record gun seizures."