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TSA found more than 130 guns at O'Hare, Midway checkpoints last year

More than 130 guns were found at O'Hare and Midway airport checkpoints in Chicago last year, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Authorities said 91 handguns were caught at O'Hare and 42 were seized at Midway.

"While our passenger volumes have not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, we are seeing even higher numbers of firearms, most of them loaded," said Illinois TSA Federal Security Director Dereck Starks. "Passengers are strictly prohibited from bringing firearms onboard planes, and our TSA officers are laser-focused on security and preventing weapons from getting through our checkpoints."

A total of 5,972 guns were intercepted at airports across the country in 2021, according to authorities. The previous record of 4,432 was set in 2019.

Authorities said 86% of the intercepted firearms were loaded.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta saw the most firearms, with 507 guns caught in 2021, according to the TSA news release.

Passengers carrying a loaded handgun into an airport checkpoint typically are fined $4,100 for a first-time offense. The TSA is considering raising the fine to as much as $13,910 per violation.

Bringing a firearm onto a plane is permitted if the weapon is unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a hardback case, and declared at the airline check-in counter.

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