Associated Press Published

TSA: Guns Found At W.Va. Airports Nearly Doubled In 2019

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The federal Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that the number of guns found at West Virginia airports nearly doubled last year.

The agency on Wednesday said officers stopped 18 firearms at airport checkpoints last year, up from 10 guns in 2018. The Tri-State Airport and Yeager Airport accounted for most of the weapons.

Travelers can be criminally charged or face civil penalties from the TSA for bringing guns to airport checkpoints.

Firearm permit holders can put their guns in checked bags if they follow TSA guidelines.

Nationally, the TSA found more than 4,000 firearms at airport checkpoints last year, which amounted to about 12 per day. Nearly all the firearms were loaded.