Loaded gun found in luggage of Guam man at Des Moines International Airport, TSA says
A resident from Guam was caught with a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag Saturday at Des Moines International Airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The Des Moines Police Department confiscated the firearm and cited him on a weapons charge, reports the Des Moines Register, which is a part of the USA TODAY Network. The handgun was loaded with five bullets, including one in the chamber, according to the news release.
This was the fourth time this year a gun was found at Des Moines International, according to the release. Twelve guns were found in both 2018 and 2019, according to the release.
Airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic, according to an Associated Press report this summer.
And 80% of the guns are loaded.
Officers found 15.3 guns for every million people screened in July, compared with 5.1 per million people in July of last year, the Transportation Security Administration said.
pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.
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