Clayton County

Atlanta airport No. 1 for guns detected at security checkpoints in 2018

ATLANTA — The Atlanta airport is once again No. 1 when it comes to guns intercepted at security checkpoints in 2018.

Channel 2's Lauren Pozen was at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, where TSA agents said 298 of 4,239 guns taken from passengers nationwide were in Atlanta.

That number is up 7% from 2017. But the number is also higher on a national scale.

A Transportation Security Administration official said most people caught with guns at checkpoints simply forgot they had them, but getting caught can cause you -- and your fellow travelers -- big problems.

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When a passenger is found to have a gun in their carry-on, the entire security line is shut down and that means passengers have to wait longer in line.

Pozen spoke to TSA spokesman Mark Howell about why Atlanta is seeing more guns at the airport.

"We've seen an increase in volume in Atlanta, but you've also seen more people carrying," Howell said.

Atlanta is the busiest airport for passengers, which explains, in part, why the most guns were found at Hartsfield, Howell said.

Passengers are allowed to travel with a gun, but there are strict rules: You have to check guns in your luggage and tell the airline you are in possession of a weapon.

"TSA doesn't want to infringe on anyone's right to travel with a gun, we just don't want it in a carry-on bag," Howell said.

Travelers can expect to pay hefty fines if they are caught with a gun in their carry-on. Those fines can go as high as $13,000, and higher if you're caught more than one time.