ATLANTA -- 11Alive took a closer look at the number of guns discovered by TSA officers last month.
Officials said Wednesday that TSA officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport discovered 30 firearms in May, which is the most ever at an airport in a single month.
However, that number seemed to contradict a TSA blog post from January. It said 31 guns were found in August 2017.
Thursday, the TSA clarified those numbers. They said 30 is a record high for a single month. The actual number found last August was 29. Officials said numbers can change after the fact for various reasons, including the fact that they get numbers from three different sources. They plan on streamlining that soon.
TSA officers said they continue to see an increase in the number of guns brought to checkpoints, locally and across the nation. More than 1,700 guns have been found at security checkpoints nationwide this year.
Passengers who bring weapons to a checkpoint are subject to federal civil penalties of up to $13,000. Even those with gun carry permits are not allowed to carry a gun on an aircraft. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900.
Read more about the complete list of penalties for carrying prohibited items here.
