32 guns recovered at O'Hare and Midway airports in 2015
(clarkmaxwell/Flickr)
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A total of 32 firearms were recovered from carry-on bags at O’Hare and Midway airports in 2015, according to the TSA.
Sixteen guns were recovered at each Chicago in 2015, according to a statement from the TSA. Nationally, the agency intercepted 2,653 firearms in carry-on bags, which set a record for the most guns intercepted in one year.
The number of firearms recovered increased nearly 20 percent from 2014, which was the previous record-setting year.
In 2014, officers discovered 2,212 firearms in carry-on bags nationally, according to the TSA. That year, six firearms were found at Midway and 20 were found at O’Hare.
“The transport of firearms by commercial air in carry-on bags represents a threat to the safety and security of air travelers,” TSA Administrator Peter Neffener said in the statement. “Through increased training in detection methods, our officers are becoming more adept at intercepting these prohibited items.”
No guns have been discovered so far in 2016 at O’Hare or Midway, according to a TSA spokesman.